Total Drama: The K'wala Islands
by ThorBringsTheThunder
Summary: (Cancelled)
1. Official Preview

**I hope you guys didn't think this was the first chapter so soon after Curse's finale. Naw, I'm just updating the preview. Don't worry, the chapter will be up before you know it.**

"Welcome to a season like no other!" Chris McLean said. "This year, we're taking everyone's favourite reality TV show down under!"

He stood in front of a map of the world. At a flick of his hand, the map zoomed in to continental Oceania. Then, a small red dot appeared in between Australia and New Zealand.

"This little Archipelago we found will hold host to eighteen contestants' battle for the grand prize," Chris explained. "As you may have already guessed, we're calling it… _The_ _K'wala Islands!"_

The title appeared beside him as he spoke.

"Some things will be familiar. Like, as in World Tour, we'll begin with three teams! Let's check them out now!"

* * *

 **The Teams:**

 ** _Team: The Dastardly Dragonflies_**

 _Location: Draggo Island_

 _Members: TBA_

 _Team Bonus: Four chickens will be given to the team upon its first arrival at Draggo Island._

 _Logo: A green dragonfly flying above a marshland._

 ** _Team: The Terrible Tarantulas_**

 _Location: Terentu Island_

 _Members: TBA_

 _Team Bonus: A box of fifty matches will be given to the team upon its first arrival at Terentu Island._

 _Logo: A red tarantula crawling on a log._

 ** _Team: The Wicked Wasps_**

 _Location: Wasiwa Island_

 _Members: TBA_

 _Team Bonus: Materials for a shelter will be given to the team upon its first arrival at Wasiwa Island._

 _Logo: A yellow wasp landing on a flowery bush._

* * *

"And elimination ceremonies will be held in the same manner as before. Unlike previous seasons, though, where we only informed the contestants who was and wasn't safe, this season we'll be reading every single vote to ensure maximum drama," Chris grinned. "And that's not the only thing that's changing."

* * *

 **New Changes:**

 _1-_ _Five immunity idols will be in play- three in the premerge portion of the competition and two in the merge._

 _2- **Casting a vote for oneself overrides all other votes,** sending whomever voted for themselves home._

 _3- **Teams will not be able to see each other** outside of challenges._

 _4- Unlike previous finales, **the finale will occur when there are three contestants left.**_

* * *

"That's some good stuff. The contestants are really going to have to work if they want to succeed," Chris said. "But who exactly are the contestants? Well, let's find out!"

* * *

 **The Cast:**

 ** _Males:_**

 _Alexei_ \- The Optimistic Hiker (Writer8543)

 _Ambrose_ \- The Broken-Hearted Track Star (Apenad4LIFE)

 _Cole_ \- The Absent-Minded Klutz (ThorBringsTheThunder's Brother)

 _Diego_ \- The Dashing Rogue (MaxGentleman1)

 _Giuseppe_ \- The Italian Animal Lover (Mistress Mysterious)

 _Harald_ \- The Poisonous Poet (Aleister Bloodrive VII)

 _Joshua_ \- The Egocentric Swede (Taylorfang9)

 _Logan_ \- The Scheming Servant (ThorBringsTheThunder)

 _Robin_ \- The Type A Perfectionist (Mystique Monroe)

 ** _Females:_**

 _Chloe_ \- The Conspiracy Theorist (Zevoros)

 _Eloa_ \- The Brazilian Beauty (Obikinoah)

 _Koh_ \- The Rebellious Punk (Mistress Mysterious)

 _Maddie_ \- The Small Pyromaniac (Aleister Bloodrive VII)

 _Maggie_ \- The Sarcastic Misanthrope (AZW330)

 _Marisa_ \- The Knowledgable Blogger (Omakin)

 _Olivia_ \- The Silent Doll (ThorBringsTheThunder)

 _Pearl_ \- The Strategic Germaphobe (Taylorfang9)

 _Zaheen_ \- The Street Magician (JackHammerMan)

* * *

"That looks good to me!" Chris said. "So tune in next time for the series premiere of-"

"WAIT!" Three teens ran on screen- two boys and a girl.

"You're supposed to introduce us," the girl said.

"Right," Chris rolled his eyes. "Apparently, the producers thought the interns needed a 'bigger role' in the show. So here they are, folks."

* * *

 **The Interns:**

 _Caleb_ \- The Debbie Downer (ShadowJCreed)

 _Frederick_ \- The Self-Proclaimed 'Bad Boy' (Artamis9)

 _Rachel_ \- The Health Nut (Skyn1nja123)

* * *

"There you go. Happy? Now get out of here," Chris waved them off and they left. "If it were up to me, that'd be all the screen time you got," he added under his breath.

He seemed to remember that they were still filming. "Oh! Um… tune in next time to the series premiere of…"

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"


	2. Ep1: Not Another Cringe-Worthy Segue

**Hey, y'all! Do you guys like reading fan seasons with canon characters? Of course you do. Why wouldn't you? Well, you should check out one story in particular. It's called Total Drama Bounce Back, by Checkmate King. The chapters are, like, 8000-10000 words each, and the story writing is INCREDIBLE. Once you're done here, go there!**

* * *

 _Welcome to…_ _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_ _Patent pending._

 _So, near the end of Total Drama: The Curse of K'wala, I had this little thing where I asked people to predict who they thought was going home. Now I'm turning that into a permanent thing. Here's how it works_ _ **(I'll bold the important parts so you don't get confused)**_

 _1- In the reviews,_ _**comment on who you think will go home on each team.**_ _(In the merge, you'll hurt pick one person.)_

 _2- I'll put all the predictions at the top of each chapter. Then, at the end of each chapter,_ _ **if you got it right, you'll get a point.**_

 _3-_ _ **The person with the most points**_ _at the end of the last chapter before the finale_ _ **wins**_ … _something. Since I won't ask you to predict the final three, that gives you the opportunity to get up to 15 points._

 _That's it! So, obviously, you don't know the teams yet, but they'll be decided by the end of the next chapter, so you can predict them then. Hopefully this works! I don't remember anyone doing this for a TD fic, so I'm the first (but if I'm not, tell me and I'll redact this statement)._

* * *

 **That's all, and enjoy!**

"Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your eyes!" A familiar voice said to a black screen. The black faded out to show a close up of Chris McLean's face. "For the newest season of the best reality TV show since, well, ever!"

The camera pulled out to show that Chris was standing on a faded wooden dock. The host himself wore a light blue tank top and beige cargo shorts, as well as comically large sunglasses. Behind him was a series of islands of varying sizes- the smallest about the size of a house, the largest, in the very center, of similar size to a shopping mall.

"Throughout the next few weeks, eighteen hopeful individuals will bout it out on this very archipelago in an attempt to win one million dollars," Chris said. "In the end, only one will walk away with the prize."

"Who will that person be? I can't wait to find out! Welcome to…

"Total!"

"Drama!"

"The K'wala Islands!"

He raised his arms with splendour as the camera once more faded to black.

 _-Theme (Coming once it exists)-_

Chris strolled up and down the dock with ease. "For those of you not familiar with the competition's format, I'll give you a quick rundown."

Before he could do so, however, three teens burst on the scene. They were clearly arguing.

"Of course it's healthy!" One girl was saying. She had mocha-brown skin and a slender body. The girl had shockingly purple hair in a half up-do. She wore a teal shirt with several pockets. She was also, for no explainable reason, jogging in place. "It's a vegetable!"

"Corn's neither healthy nor a vegetable, actually," One of the two boys replied in a nasally voice. He was Caucasian and on the shorter side, seeming slightly too thin to be realistic. His ash brown hair nearly covered his eyes, and he, too, wore a teal shirt. "It's a grain."

"No way!" The other boy said in amazement. He had brown hair which was currently in a state of disarray, covering a round face with a scar across the bridge of his nose. "That's, like, the coolest thing!" Then, when the others stared at him, he dropped his voice down half an octave. "I mean, uh, whatever."

"It's not cool. It's not true," the girl insisted.

The thin boy spoke. "Rachel, I admit that you know a lot about food, being a health-nut, but-"

"I prefer the term 'healthiness-aware', Caleb," the girl, Rachel, said. "We've been over this."

"Nevertheless, I must insist that corn is a grain," Caleb said. "Sorry to rain on your parade."

"Are you?" The other boy asked. "Because I could be wrong, but you don't seem like the apologetic type," he pointed out. Then, after another pause, he adopted his lower voice. "I mean, who cares? ...Loser," he added. The he got out a comb and started fixing his hair.

"You can drop the facade, Freddy," Caleb stated.

"Yeah, we all know you're not that mean," Rachel added.

'Freddy' shook his head, waving his comb around. "Yes, I am! I'm as mean as I am good-looking! I, um… spit in cake batter, and don't even feel guilty! And the name's Frederick, not Freddy."

Chris looked at the three of them. "Hey! You're not supposed to be on yet. Don't you have to set up the challenge?"

"We did that already," Rachel beamed. "With punctuality and precision! As is the Rachel way."

"Nevertheless, you can't be on camera!" Chris hissed.

"We're… on camera?" Frederick asked, worried.

"No {CENSORED}, Sherlock," Caleb replied snarkily.

"But my hair isn't right!" Frederick dove off-screen. Caleb and Rachel followed suit, Rachel still jogging.

"Hey! Keep the language to a minimum! We have a low enough editing budget as it is!" Chris called after them.

"{CENSORED} your editing budget," Caleb shot back.

Chris sighed and turned to the camera. "Those three charming people are my interns this season. Not only are they allowed to appear on camera, I can't fire them until the season is over. Not for lack of trying," he smirked. "Now, where was I?"

His gaze drifted to above the camera, presumably as he read a prompt. "Ah. Right. For those of you not familiar with the competition's format, I'll give you a quick rundown."

He held up three fingers. "Our eighteen contestants will be sorted onto one of three teams. Every two days, the teams will duke it out in a challenge. The team that performs the worst in the challenge will be forced to vote one of their own out of the competition. If a person receives the majority of their team's votes, they'll be sent home- unless they have an immunity idol, which can be played after the results are announced to save the holder. I think it should make for an excellent game," he winked.

He heard a foghorn. "...And it seems like our first contestant is arriving! Let's see who it is."

A small boat pulled up to the dock. Then, a girl stepped off the boat. She was a caramel-skinned teen with short black hair underneath a fedora. She wore a black vest over a white dress shirt and blue skinny jeans. There was a calculating look in her emerald-green eyes.

"Zaheen!" Chris greeted. "Good to see you."

"Likewise," Zaheen agreed, though she didn't seem to mean it. "I suppose I am the first to arrive?"

"That you are," Chris winked. "Maybe it's an omen."

Zaheen scoffed. "Omens? Please. Fate, omens, destiny, they're all a ruse. Just like magic, one is in complete control of their future. And speaking of magic," She then procured a deck of cards and spread them out in front of him. "Select a card, please."

 _-Zaheen: The Street Magician-_

"Ooh, a trick," Chris said. He hummed as he decided on a card.

"Sometime soon," Zaheen said, somewhat irritably. Chris selected a card soon after. "Show it to the camera," He did so- the seven of spades. "Now put it anywhere back in the deck." The host did, grinning in anticipation.

Zaheen took the entire deck and put it in her left hand. Then, she waved her right hand over the deck and it disappeared. As Chris watched in amazement, Zaheen removed her hat.

"What's in there?" Zaheen asked.

"A card, but there's no way…" Chris trailed off. He picked up the card, and lo and behold, it was the seven of spades. "Wow! You're good!"

"Yes," Zaheen agreed simply. She put her hat back on and, with a snap, made the deck disappear.

Chris mimed his head exploding in awe. "Mind blown. How did you do that?"

"Dear," Zaheen said condescendingly. "A magician never reveals her secrets."

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen

"Hello," She states to the camera. She's shuffling a deck of cards. "I am none other than Zaheen Bakshi. Of course, you don't recognize my name yet, but you will. I bring to the table a magician's mindset and, unlike many of the show's past competitors, I am unafraid to make questionable game moves in order to get ahead. Just like magic, playing hard is neither good nor bad, just a way to make money."

* * *

"Here, I have something for you," Chris said. He pulled out eighteen yellow rubber ducks in a basket. "Take one."

"I have no interest in toys," Zaheen sniffed.

"They're not toys, why would you think…?" Chris took another look at the ducks. "Yeah, I guess they're kind of like toys. But you should still take one. As a souvenir."

"The only souvenir I'll need is the million dollars," Zaheen replied. Nevertheless, she plucked a duck, before making it disappear.

"Cool. Now go over there," Chris gestured to a large mat. She did so with formality.

The magician examined her duck. "There is a green dot on the bottom of my duck. Am I correct in assuming that these will aid in the selection of teams?"

"Shh!" Chris quickly shushed her. "Don't spoil the surprise!"

Zaheen crossed her arms and smirked. Just then, another horn blared.

"It appears that another contestant is arriving!" Chris declared. "Will our victor be on this boat?"

Suddenly, a tiny girl jumped out of the boat, landing in a faux-ninja pose. "Ha! That was awesome!"

This girl had fair white skin and neon-blue hair in pigtails, and wide, teal-green eyes set a little too deep in her face. She was very short and skinny, and wore a white blouse with a matching blue scarf and skirt. Her lips were painted black and set in an eerie smile.

She ran over to Chris. "Christiano McLeano! You're the host of…" suddenly she frowned and put her hands on her hips. "The thing with the people!"

"The… show?" Chris supplied.

"Yes!" The girl nodded enthusiastically. "I'm Madelyne Michelle Heines! I'm an Aquarius! I enjoy playing with fire and chocolate! You're pretty ugly!" She said this all so fast that her words blurred together.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "What was that last one?"

But Maddie was already distracted. She pulled out a lighter from her hair and started flicking it on and off. "Ha! This gets me every time!" She started laughing maniacally.

"Right," Chris remembered. He snatched the lighter away from her. "The producers warned me to take that away. We're pushing the 'wilderness' theme this season, so having a lighter would be- Um, are you paying attention?"

Maddie was clearly not, rather staring at her lighter in his hand. She scrunched up her face and began to cry. Then, a few seconds later, she pulled out another lighter from her hair and started to play with it. "Whee!"

 _-Maddie: The Small Pyromaniac-_

Chris shook his head. "I have a feeling you're going to be a handful this season."

Maddie started to laugh. "Say that again!"

"What?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"H-h-handful!" Maddie said between stifled laughter. "I love that word! Handful, handful, handful."

* * *

Confessional: Maddie

She laughs evilly. "Hello, world! I am an alien!" Then she frowns. "No I am not." Then her eyes widen. "Maybe I am! I can be from, um… the fire planet! That way Christiano can't take my lighter! Maddie, you're a genius! Why thank you!" She replies to herself. "Handful, handful, handful."

* * *

"I'm almost hesitant to give you this, but," Chris slowly brought our the basket of rubber ducks. "Duck?"

Maddie ducked. "Why?" Then she blinked, hopped back up, and grinned. "Ooh, yellow!"

She snatched a duck and attempted to light it on fire. "Aww, not flammammable."

Maddie spotted Zaheen. "Ooh! Person!" She ran over. She checked out Zaheen's outfit. "Huh. You're dressed like a lesbian."

"I- I beg your pardon?" Zaheen stuttered.

"Don't worry! Me too!" Maddie cheered. "Look at what we have in common! Wanna be best friends forever?"

Zaheen looked flustered. "First of all, I'm not a lesbian. Second, from what I've seen, the only thing we have in common is our gender. Third, I wouldn't want to be friends with you if you paid me."

"Oh," Maddie looked downcast. Then she brightened. "Okay!"

"That's it?" Zaheen asked. "One would think you'd be a bit more disappointed."

"It's all right. I get rejected all the time!" Maddie said chipperly. As Zaheen gave her a weird look, she pulled out a chocolate bar and began to eat it. "Mmm! That's some delirious chocolate."

"You mean delicious," Zaheen said through gritted teeth.

"Do I?" Maddie winked. Before Zaheen could respond, they were startled by another ship's horn.

"Another contestant approaches!" Chris said.

"Are you going to announce their arrival every time?" Zaheen asked.

"Yes," Chris replied cheekily. "And here they come!"

A young boy stepped onto the dock- or more accurately, _tripped_ onto the dock. He fell over his feet and landed on his hands.

"Haha, whoops!" The boy chuckled good-naturedly. "What a way to make a first impression, huh?"

He stepped over to Chris. "Hey, Chris!"

"Cole! My man!" Chris extended his hand for a shake, but recoiled after they shook. "Dude… you're soaked!"

"Am I?" Cole looked at his clothes. His pink tank top was plastered to his chest, as were his cargo shorts to his legs. His blond hair was dripping onto his chocolate brown skin. His shoes were in even worse condition- one was barely staying on his foot, and the other was torn to shreds. "Would you look at that, I am! I might have fallen into the lake."

"Might?" Chris repeated.

"I'm always falling down or something like that," Cole shrugged. "Sometimes they blur together."

 _-Cole: The Absent-Minded Klutz-_

"Now, I was going to say something…" Cole thought aloud. Then he snapped his fingers. "Right. Is Chef on this season?"

"You're out of luck," Chris shrugged. "He took a job hosting some sort of cooking show with one of his buds. Gordon something-or-other, I think."

"Ah, cripes," Cole snapped his fingers. "My half-brother's school friend's cousin is a huge Chef Hatchet fan. I was hoping to get an autograph."

"Huh," Chris said. "Well, you can have my autograph, if you like."

"Why would I want that?" Cole asked, staring out into the distance.

* * *

Confessional: Cole

"Some people say I'm a bit of a bird brain, but I'm here to prove them wrong. I won't be labelled as the stupid guy who left first. I'll be labelled as the winner who left first!" He cheers. Then he frowns. "That's not right. Hm." He stands up to leave the confessional, but trips again and crashes into the camera.

* * *

"Here, why don't you take a duck?" Chris offered the basket of rubber ducks to Cole.

"Sweet. Is this the participation prize?" Cole asked. He selected a duck, but somehow accidentally knocked the entire contents of the basket into the water.

"Ah, geez," Cole shook his head. "Here, let me go get them."

"We have interns for that," Chris stuck an arm out, preventing the klutz from jumping in. "Frederick! Get those ducks!"

A moment later, Frederick slowly swam through the water, supported by a pink blow-up unicorn. "On it."

As he picked up the floating ducks, Chris stared at his floatation device. "What's with the unicorn? I know all three of you can swim, I specifically requested that."

Frederick sighed. "This is the only one they had, and I don't want to mess up my hair, all right?"

"'Nuff said," Chris winked. As Frederick returned to him all the ducks and made his way back to shore, the host turned back to Cole. "Okay, you can- Cole? Are you listening?"

Cole was mouthing some words. Then he turned to Chris and said, "Why are these called rubber ducks if they're yellow? Wouldn't rubber ducklings be more accurate?"

Chris blinked. He pointed to where Zaheen and Maddie were standing. "Stand there."

Cole nodded. "Sounds like a planley, Stanley." He sauntered over to the mat on which the other contestants stood. "Hi, girls. I'm Cole."

Maddie took one look at him and said, "You _are_ wet!"

Cole nodded.

"That's the oppopposite of fire!" Maddie glared. "Next you'll tell me you don't like chocolate."

Cole shrugged. "I mean, I like _white_ chocolate, but I'm not a fan of regular."

"That does it!" Maddie stormed over until she was face-to-face with Cole, which looked a little comical since she was so small and he was rather tall. "I hate you! I vow to destroy you!"

Cole took a while to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "Woah, I just made my first enemy. That's rad."

"You know what else is rad?" Chris interjected before Maddie could reply. "Contestant number four has just arrived! Let's meet them."

"Hi," a grinning boy said as he stepped on the dock. He wore a white polo shirt with an Italian flag embossed near the top-left corner, semi-formal black pants, and white runners. He was muscular rather handsome, with tanned skin and a kind smile.

"Giuseppe, what's happening?" Chris gave him his signature double finger-pistols.

Giuseppe returned the gesture, but didn't say anything.

"Um, Giuseppe? Hello?" Chris said irritably.

"Hi," Giuseppe said again. He whipped out what appeared to be an English-Italian dictionary and rifled through it. "Apologize. Not to speak good English."

"Ah, I see," Chris said. "I should have guessed. The producers did have difficulty procuring answers from your entrance interview." He paused. "You have absolutely no idea what I'm saying, do you?"

Giuseppe frowned. "...Yes?" Then he gasped. " _Un ucello!_ " He said as he ran past Chris and the other contestants. The host craned his neck and saw Giuseppe admiring a large bird with colourful feathers.

"Yo! G-Man! Get over-!" Chris sighed dramatically. "Does _anyone_ speak Italian?"

" _Chris ti vuole!_ " Cole shouted at Giuseppe.

Giuseppe blinked and returned to Chris. "Apologize."

 _-Giuseppe: The Italian Animal Lover-_

"It's all good," Chris said. "At least we have a contestant that speaks Italian."

"Really? Who?" Cole asked.

"...You," Chris said warily.

"Do I?" Cole wondered aloud. "I've always wanted to learn another language, but I don't think I know Italian."

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe

" _La mia famiglia si trasferirà presto in Canada, quindi volevano che io sperimenterei la cultura canadese. Anche se non vedo come un programma televisivo basato in Oceania mi aiuti a imparare. Poi di nuovo, molte persone qui sono probabilmente canadesi o americani, quindi forse potrebbero aiutare."_ Then he grins. "Game… will… be… good."

* * *

Chris brought out the basket of rubber ducks once again. He mimed picking one up and keeping it.

Giuseppe nodded in understanding and did so. Chris then gestured for him to join the other contestants, which he also did.

" _È strano come abbiano due persone che parlano italiano nello stesso spettacolo, giusto?_ " Giuseppe chuckled to Cole.

" _Non parlo italiano,"_ Cole replied. "Sorry, dude. I wish I could, though."

Giuseppe gave him a strange look. " _Hai letteralmente-"_ He shook his head. " _Idiota."_

"That's kind of rude, dude," Cole chided. "You should probably be a bit nicer to everyone else in the game. I think I'm a pretty chill person, but not everyone is."

Giuseppe stared at him blankly. " _Che cosa?"_ He once again opened his dictionary. "You… speak… Italian… say… you… not… speak Italian." He finally got out.

"Well, duh, I don't," Cole replied. Giuseppe seemed to understand what he was saying but it only made him more confused.

"This conversation is both interesting and confusing, but let's direct our attention to our next contestant!" Chris interrupted the boys.

"Who could possibly have predicted he'd say that?" Zaheen asked sarcastically.

"Ooh! I could!" Maddie reached her hands up and jumped up and down.

Meanwhile, the contestant stepped onto the dock. She looked, in a word, _intimidating._ The girl wore a black tee decorated with a skull, an blue skirt over black tights, and boots and a jacket that were both made of leather. Her hair was dyed black, standing out from her icy pale skin. She also appeared to be wearing contact lenses which made her eyes look purple.

"'Sup," she said simply as she sauntered over to Chris.

"Hi," Chris said, quite obviously nervous despite him being nearly a head taller than her. They shook hands, Koh crushing Chris' hand with her strong grip.

"Are these the other rats?" She laughed at her own joke.

"If by rats, you mean contestants, then yeah," Chris said.

"Rhetorical question, {CENSORED}," Koh rolled her eyes. "What else'd they be here for?"

"Can we please refrain from using profanity? We don't have a lot of cash for editing," the host explained. "That is, if you want to."

"They don't look like much," Koh ignored him. "I could probably beat them in a fistfight." She spied Giuseppe. "Might have trouble with you, though. Would use the knife."

She grabbed a polished hunting knife from her belt and twirled it around her fingers. "Be a shame to hurt that pretty face of yours, though."

 _-Koh: The Rebellious Punk-_

" _Chi è questa donna e perché punta un coltello contro di me?_ " Giuseppe asked, a bead of sweat betraying his fear.

"Ooh, an Italian," Koh grinned. "One of my gang buddies, Vinnie, he's Italian too. Taught me a few phrases, but I've forgotten them. Except for _omicidio,_ which means 'homicide'. Can't recall why that stuck with me."

" _Omicidio?"_ Giuseppe repeated with a gulp.

* * *

Confessional: Koh

"Hey, my first confessional, and whaddaya know-it really does stink like {CENSORED} in here. Guess I'll have to get used to it, 'cause I'll be using this thing for a _long_ time. My strategy is simple. If people are scared of me, they'll do what I want. Not noble, but what the hell is these days?"

* * *

Chris brought out the basket. "...Want a duck?"

Koh laughed. "Hell yeah I do!"

She snatched a duck and squeezed it. It emitted a small squeak. She grinned. "This is tight! It needs a name," she decided. She tapped her foot and spun her knife around, before deciding. "I'm calling him Howard."

"Howard the duck?" Chris said. "Isn't that, you know, already taken?"

"I know. Ain't it great?" Koh snickered. Unprompted, she strolled over to where the other five contestants stood.

"Woah! Cool knife! It looks scaaaaary," Maddie complimented, gleefully drawing out the last word.

"Psh, maybe if you don't know how to use it," Koh said offhandedly. "Besides, you shouldn't fear the knife. You should fear the chick holding it."

Maddie stared at Koh. "I like your makeup."

"Really?" Koh looked a little flustered. "...Thanks. Your hair's pretty sick, too. Nothing I could pull off, at any rate."

Maddie twisted one her blue pigtails. "Thanks! I did it myself after I found the dye in a dumpster. Then I set the dumpster on fire! Haha!"

Koh viewer the small girl. "You know, you're cool. You can hang with me," she said.

"Yay!" Maddie cheered.

They were both startled by yet another horn.

Chris grinned. "Our next contestant is here! Will they be the one to take home the money? Let's meet them."

The next contestant- another short girl- emerged from her boat. She had brown, shoulder length hair, and wore a camouflage army jacket over of a black t-shirt. She also wore a pair of black combat boots and a pair of faded jeans. Thick glasses rested upon her face, bringing attention to her narrow grey eyes.

She walked over to Chris in an almost robotic way.

"Hey, Maggie!" Chris greeted warmly.

"Hello," Maggie replied without any emotion in her voice. She stood eerily still.

Chris was slightly perturbed. He reached his hand out for a shake but Maggie made no motion to do so. He slowly lowered his hand. "Er… ready to win?"

"Yes," Maggie said simply, betraying no emotion.

"What's your game plan going in?" Chris asked, trying to provoke a multi-word response from the girl.

Maggie hesitated before answering. "Though this may come as a shock to you, I'm not going to spoil my plan to everyone here," she finally said plainly.

Chris was taken aback as the others laughed at both the cold delivery of this comment and Chris' embarrassment. A thin smile played across Maggie's lips.

 _-Maggie: The Sarcastic Misanthrope-_

"You think you're real smart," Chris said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

"No," Maggie shook her head. "I _know_ I'm real smart. I graduated from high school with a perfect GPA. My vocabulary is that of a Scrabble grandmaster. I know seven languages, including English, French, Spanish-"

" _Italiano?"_ Giuseppe asked hopefully, evidently having picked up on the names of languages.

"No," Maggie said in the same monotone.

" _Stai scherzando?"_ Giuseppe asked angrily. He kicked a post on one end of the dock.

* * *

Confessional: Maggie

She sits completely still. "I studied this game carefully. I hypothesize that, if I fly under the radar and let my teammates make the strategic moves, they will see me as an asset for intelligence-based challenges, but not so much so that I'm voted out for being a strategic threat. Of course," she adds, "I _am_ a strategic threat. It is merely the weakness of humanity that prevents them from seeing this."

* * *

"Duck?" Chris offered, offering the basket to her.

Maggie viewed the rubber ducks. "Am I required to select one?"

"Yes," Chris replied.

Maggie barely acknowledged his response before choosing a duck. She examined it. "Quaint," she said simply. She then made her way to the other contestants. Without greeting any of them, she turned around and stared at the direction she came, waiting for the next contestant to come.

"Hey," Cole said. Maggie didn't respond. "Hey," he said a little louder. She still didn't respond. He tapped her on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Maggie hissed, turning around to face him.

"Hm? Oh, sorry," Cole frowned. "I was just introducing myself. My name's Cole."

"Maggie," she said. She turned around once more.

Cole paused. "...Tap, tap." When she didn't move, he said, "Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap-"

"What are you doing?" Maggie asked him.

Cole shrugged. "You said not to touch you, so I'm verbally tapping your shoulder."

"What do you want from me?" Maggie asked.

"Just some light conversation, you know?" Cole said. "Maybe we can be pals."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Cole, because it's clear that you have a juvenile understanding of social cues, I'll make something very clear. I do _not_ want to speak with anyone as unintelligent as you."

Cole's brow furrowed. "What's a social cue?"

Maggie walked away from Cole and stood as far from him as she could.

"Woah, I think I made another enemy," Cole realized.

"That's no achievement, dude," Koh laughed.

"Speaking of an achievement, our next contestant has achieved being the seventh contestant to arrive!" Chris attempted a segue.

"That was awful," Zaheen said.

" _You're_ awful," Chris shot back.

"How original," Zaheen stated.

" _You're_ original," Chris replied.

"That doesn't even make sense," Zaheen said condescendingly.

" _You_ don't even make sense!" Chris shouted. "Boom! Trump card, right there!"

"Hey, I hate to interrupt, but I'm here," the next contestant waved. "Uh, hi."

He was the tallest contestant to arrive thus far. He had messy orange hair and freckles that matched, standing out amongst his unnaturally pale face. His attire was peculiar- a blue long-sleeve shirt that was tight around his spindly arms, and baggy white shorts.

"Hi, Logan," Chris said. "What's with the threads? They're a little… odd."

"These?" Logan looked at his clothes. "Well, normally I wear a suit and tie, but it's not like those are good clothes for a competition like Total Drama."

Chris didn't seem to notice that he had dodged the question. "Suit and tie? Why?"

"I'm a manservant," Logan explained. "I have to look my best at all times, in case my boss has people over.

"Who is your boss, anyway?" Chris asked.

"You wouldn't know him," Logan said offhandedly. "He's not that famous."

 _-Logan: The Scheming Servant-_

"I have to say, I'm surprised you're not super formal," Chris stated. "You'd think a manservant would be more, you know."

Logan chuckled. "I get that a lot, actually. I think there's a lot of negative connotations around us these days. But frankly, I only have to put my fake face on whenever my boss entertains really prestigious guests, and that's, like, once in a blue moon."

"Interesting," Chris complimented.

* * *

Confessional: Logan

He's no longer sporting his nervous grin. In fact, it's been replaced my an eerie smirk. "And would you look at that. I already have the host fooled. The contestants will follow suit. I may be a servant, but that doesn't mean I'm docile and meek. No. You can expect me to be a dominant force this season. I could tell you how, but why spoil the surprise? You'll see soon enough."

* * *

"What's with the black eye?" Chris asked, as he brought out the basket of ducks. "Oh, and feel free to take a duck."

Logan chose the one closest to him. "Actually, I got this in the airport on the way here. Some guy nailed me with this oversized briefcase."

"Sounds painful," Chris winced in sympathy. "Well, go ahead and join the others."

Logan did so, taking a spot beside Koh. He turned to her and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Logan."

"Didn't ask you, nerd," Koh replied with a cackle.

"Nerd?" Logan looked at his clothes. "Wasn't expecting it, but I can also see why you'd think that."

Koh frowned. "You're supposed to be scared."

"Am I?" Logan asked. "Because while I think you have the potential to be unnerving, I'm just not getting 'scary' vibes right now."

"The hell you aren't!" Koh growled.

Logan shrugged. "Sorry. Hopefully this wasn't an attempt to intimidate me so I wouldn't vote you out."

Koh spluttered. "Psh, why would you think that?"

"I don't really think that. I'm just keeping a healthy level of paranoia. Anyone could be hiding something."

"Why do you think I'm hiding something?" Koh accused, a little too fast.

Logan smirked. "Interesting reaction."

"{CENSORED} off, douchebag," Koh muttered. "I don't need your condescension."

"Very well," Logan took a step away from her.

"Some tension is already brewing, it seems! Let's keep it going with our next contestant," Chris said as another boat arrived.

As the contestant stepped onto the dock, the others stared. He was tall and muscular and appeared to be of Mexican descent, though that wasn't what drew the attention of the cast.

He wore an entirely black costume- a black sombrero cordobés over a black sackcloth mask which covered everything from the eyes upward, loose black shirt and pants, and a black cape. Even his boots and gloves were black. His entire ensemble looked worn.

The boy bounded over to Chris with elapsing strides. " _¡Hola!_ I am Diego De La Vega, but you may call me," he brandished his cape. " _El Zorro._ "

There was a pause as everyone was unsure how to react.

"...Yeah, not happening," Chris finally decided. "You listed Diego on your application. Once you're eliminated, feel free to call yourself whatever you like."

"Who said anything about being eliminated?" Diego grinned.

"I like your attitude," Chris said. "Still not calling you _El Zorro._ One, it's Spanish, which, as a Canadian, I am legally obligated to _not_ speak. Two, copyright violations."

"But you're letting Howard the duck slide?" Cole asked curiously.

"It's a lowercase 'd'," Chris said.

"Blast," Diego said. "Well, maybe I shan't keep the name, but I shall keep the attitude! I shall be an independent hero, a vigilante who wins the battle no matter how many people get hurt in the process."

"I don't think…" Chris trailed off. "Yeah, you do you. As long as doing you isn't illegal."

 _-Diego: The Dashing Rogue-_

"Are these the other contestants?" Diego asked.

"No," Maggie replied flatly from where she stood. "We just happen to be seven random teens who found themselves on the contestants' mat at the same time."

"And who do you think you are?" Diego accused her.

"Ask a stupid question," Maggie said monotonously.

* * *

Confessional: Diego

He grins. "I remember my _padre_ telling me the legend of _El Zorro_. I knew then that I aspired to be like him. Hence the costume. It's not every day that you can live like your historical icon, so I take every opportunity to think: WWZD?"

* * *

Chris brought out the basket of rubber ducks once more. "Please, take a duck."

"I shall!" Diego declared.

"Oh, and I should ask, do you have any weapons on you?" Chris asked as Diego selected his duck.

"Why, yes! _El Zorro_ never goes anywhere without his trusty sword!" Diego declared.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to confiscate that," Chris said lazily. "We can't have anyone having items that'll give them an unfair advantage in the camps."

Diego frowned. He pointed at Maddie. "Why does she have a lighter?" Then he pointed at Koh. "And why does she have a knife?"

Chris sighed. "Maddie's a special case. She's…" he watched as Maddie tried to set Giuseppe's shirt on fire. "Yeah. And I really don't want to be the one to tell Koh no, you dig?" He said as Koh cracked her knuckles lazily.

"This _does_ feel like a double standard," Logan pointed out from the mat. "Why let some people have their items and not others?"

"Fair enough. Keep the sword," Chris conceded. "Just know that the contract you signed means that if you kill anyone, the show takes no responsibility. Got it?"

"Got it!" Diego said.

"Now go join the others," Chris dismissed him. Diego did so gleefully, attracting gazes from the others.

"I could still take you in a fight," Koh decided.

Chris grinned. "Speaking of-"

"No more segues, please," Zaheen mock-begged him.

"Fine. With no transition whatsoever, let's meet our next contestant!" Chris said angrily.

The next person stepped on the dock. She tall and appeared to be Asian. She wore a simple blue sundress and white flats. A wide floppy sun hat covered her red hair, and her dark grey eyes were at odds with her enthusiastic smile.

"I made it!" She cheered. "Holy guacamole, I made it! I'm on Total Drama!" She spotted the camera and looked straight at it. "I'm on Total Drama!"

"That you are, Marisa!" Chris said. "How does it feel?"

"It feels amazing!" She grinned. "I've been blogging about this show since it came out. Now I can finally experience it!"

"Hold on. You're not another Sierra, are you?" Chris asked.

Marisa inhaled. "Sierra. The Obsessive Uber-Fan. Has played in two seasons. In Total Drama: World Tour, she was on Team Chris Is Really Really Really Hot And Team Amazon. She placed fourth in _Aww, Drumheller_ after blowing up the Total Drama Jumbo Jet, despite winning immunity. In Total Drama: All Stars, she was on the Heroic Hamsters. She placed ninth in _Suckers Punched_ after the Villainous Vultures were given the power to vote out anyone on the opposing team. Fun Fact: Duncan was eliminated one place off of Sierra both times she went home." She said all of this in one long breath.

"Is that a _no_?" Chris asked.

"That is a _no_ ," Marisa confirmed.

 _-Marisa: The Knowledgeable Blogger-_

"Did you study up on all the past contestants before coming here?" Chris asked.

"Just a quick review. I've known most of this stuff for a while, just in case I ever stumbled across an occasion where I needed it."

"How often do those occasions arise?" Chris wondered.

"...Not often," Marisa sighed. "But now that I'm on Total Drama, all of it will pay off!"

* * *

Confessional: Marisa

"As well as knowing every cast member, in preparation for the game I analyzed the actions of all six winners- Owen, Duncan, Alejandro, Cameron, Mike, and Sky. I found some important stats- 83% of these winners had an alliance, so that's obvious. More importantly, 83% of the winners had a romantic interest in the game, so all I need to do is find a guy and latch on to him. There's other stats, too, but no one who made the longest confessional of any season won that season, so I should cut it off here."

* * *

Marisa was still smiling. "So, when does the challenge start?"

"Your enthusiasm is admirable," Chris complimented, "But we still have half the cast to introduce. You should take a duck though," he said as he showed her the basket.

"Yes please!" Marisa said. She took a duck and squeezed it. "This is awesome!"

"It's just a duck," Chris replied.

"It's a _Total Drama_ duck," Marisa corrected. "My first piece of memorabilia. I bet that these will have a high resale value once the season finishes."

"I never thought of that," Chris realized. "You can join the others now."

Marisa nodded and looked at the other contestants. Her gaze finally landed on Giuseppe. "Bingo," She said under her breath. "Hi, I'm Marisa," she said, walking up to him.

"Hi. Am Giuseppe," Giuseppe said in his Italian accent. "Apologize. English no good."

"A non-English speaking contestant?" Marisa said to herself. "It's never been done, so I suppose it won't affect my odds."

Giuseppe stared at her.

Marisa smiled. "Friend?... Um, _compadre? Amigo?_ "

Giuseppe obviously recognized the last word and nodded. " _Ami-co_ ," he agreed, emphasizing the last syllable, which Marisa had gotten wrong.

"Well, half our cast has been introduced! Let's keep things rolling along with our next contestant," Chris announced.

Yet another boat arrived, and another teen stepped off of it. She was slim, with dark red hair in a ponytail and peach-toned skin. She wore a green blouse and blue denim capris, as well as narrow, rectangular glasses. She had a look of agitation on her face. She carried a curious milk-jug sized container.

"Pearl!" Chris greeted. "How are you-"

"I've got a bone to pick with you, McLean," Pearl hissed before he could finish. "This was _supposed_ to be a twenty-two person season, but _you_ decided that chartering four extra flights would be too costly, so you cut _my sister_ from the cast! We could've gone on the same plane, but noooo, you had to-"

She continued to rant for what felt like several minutes.

"-you stingy slimeball!" Pearl finally finished.

"What are you going to do, sue me?" Chris laughed. Then he frowned. "No, don't do that. I, um…" He shouted over his shoulder. "Rachel!"

Rachel jogged over. "Yes?" She asked. She currently had a carrot stick in her hand.

"Get in contact with Ruby Carpenter and tell her we'll let her on the next season if she doesn't pursue legal action," Chris instructed her.

"Just her?" Rachel asked.

Chris thought about it. "...No. You can call… what were their names?"

"Connor Johnson, Nicole Valentine, and Janson Marlick," Rachel recited.

"Call them too. I don't want to get sued… again," Chris shuddered. Rachel nodded and left. The host turned back to Pearl. "Where were we?"

"Talking about how you were a slimeball," Pearl sniffed.

"Right…" Chris searched for a different topic of conversation. He eventually saw the oversized jug she was carrying. "What's that?"

"Hand sanitizer," Pearl replied. "In fact, I should use some."

"Really?" Chris laughed as she started liberally applying sanitizer, not only to her hands, but arms and face as well.

"Cleanliness is no joke," Pearl said levelly, closing her jug and setting it down.

 _-Pearl: The Strategic Germaphobe-_

"I have a feeling you're going to be an interesting one this season," Chris said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pearl harshly accused.

* * *

Confessional: Pearl

"Yes, I may have a phobia of," She shudders. " _germs_ … but that doesn't mean I'll let that get in the way of my game. Even without my sister, I'm going to prove that Pearl Carpenter is a force to be reckoned with!"

* * *

"Do you want to cover these in sanitizer, too?" Chris asked dryly as he attained the duck basket and offered it to her.

"No, don't be ridiculous," Pearl replied. She selected a duck.

"Now go join the others," Chris told her.

"Very well," Pearl strode away. She noticed as she walked on the mat and saw Diego.

"And why on earth are you dressed like that?" Pearl asked.

Diego stared at his clothes. "I'm glad you've taken an interest, madam! For I am _El Zorro_ , protector-"

"Okay, I'm good," Pearl waved him away.

Diego frowned. "That is no way to speak to _El Zorro,_ protector of-"

"I really don't care. I was just wondering if that was legit or just a cosplay," Pearl shrugged.

"Cosplay?" Diego scoffed. "You _dare_ call my persona a _cosplay?_ "

Logan spoke up. "To be fair, it does look like a Halloween costume."

"Like you'd know anything about clothing, whatwith how you're dressed," Diego shot back.

"Yeah, that's fair," Logan sighed.

Chris quickly glanced at Zaheen, who was paying attention to the boys. " _And-speaking-of-fair-I'm- fairly-certain-our-next-contestant-is-arriving!_ " He said before she realized what was happening.

"Not another cringe-worthy segue," Zaheen groaned.

"You snooze, you lose. Or, I guess… you snost, you lost?" Chris wondered. "Is there a way to make it past tense without… whatever. Here they are!"

A tall boy stepped off the boat, holding himself confidently. He was a Caucasian young man with black hair in a bowl cut. His outfit consisted of an extremely loud golden jacket, blue jeans, and clunky brown boots.

"Hålla, Chris!" The boy said in a Scandinavian accent. "Make way for the next winner of Total Drama!"

"Joshua! Looking sharp," Chris complimented. "And you've got that winning attitude too. Seems like you'll be an asset to your team."

"Of course! Any team would be lucky to have The King," Joshua grinned. "That's my nickname back home."

"Well, hopefully you have some strategy for when your team loses," Chris joked.

Joshua frowned. "But… they'll have me on their team. Why would we lose?" He seemed to be genuinely confused.

 _-Joshua: The Egocentric Swede-_

"Don't you think you should have a backup plan? Like, for the very small chance that your team loses?" Chris asked.

"No need! We won't lose. Not with me, anyway," Joshua bragged.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua

"Some people call me a narcissist. A god complex. Incapable of seeing my own faults. Well, I've got news for you. I'm _much_ too self-aware to have an ego. And look who's on Total Drama, so _ha_!"

* * *

"Well, you can at least take one of these," Chris brought out the basket of ducks. "They almost match your jacket."

Joshua picked a duck. "Cool souvenir! I mean, not as good as the million bucks, but I'll be getting that soon."

"Didn't you say the same thing?" Chris asked Zaheen.

"To that effect, yes," Zaheen confirmed.

"Huh," Chris mused. "You can stand with the others."

Joshua did so, confidently strutting over. "Make way for your winner!"

Logan grinned at the camera. Then he walked over. "Hi. I'm Logan. How's it going?"

"Hi, Leugen," Joshua greeted. "I'm feeling confident!"

"I wouldn't have known," Logan said dryly. Upon noticing Joshua's confused expression, he shifted gears. "You mentioned being called The King. Why's that?"

Joshua smirked. "Okay, so check this out: I'm walking home from school one day. Just chilling out, right? Then I look up and what do I see? It's the most popular girl in my class, Tina Miller. She's crossing the street, but she's texting or whatever so she can't see. Then, out of nowhere comes this giant bus! So my natural instincts kick in. I jump forward, push her out of the way, and get hit with this bus. I got, like, three broken bones, but it's all good."

Logan was surprised. "That's… unbelievable," he said honestly.

"I know, right?" Joshua bragged. "We're dating now. I have, like, thousands of followers on Pinstachat. I'm kind of a legend."

"That's great," Logan nodded. He dropped his voice. "It's a little early, but do you want to form a partnership of sorts? We can stick together if we're put on the same team, or if we both make the merge."

"Sounds good!" Joshua accepted with a grin.

"Indeed," Logan agreed with a sinister smile.

Another horn sounded, and Chris grinned. "Let's meet our next hopeful!" He said.

Another boy stepped off his respective boat. He was on the taller side and had a solid build. A multitude of freckles were visible on his smiling, tanned face. He wore simple clothing- a flannel red shirt, black trousers, and blue sneakers. In his hand was a well-worn walking stick.

"Alexei!" Chris greeted. "What's up?"

Alexei grinned. "I'm just so happy to be here! The sun is shining, the birds are singing," he cupped a hand to his ear to listen for the birds. "Okay, maybe they're not, but I'm sure they will!"

"Nice walking stick," Chris complimented. It was decorated graffiti style with the names of various worldwide locations. "Are those all the cities you've been to?"

"Yeah," Alexei agreed. "My parents are pretty well-to-do, so we can afford to travel. My dream is to hike all 10 of _National Geographic's_ best trails. I'm at four so far, but I know I can do it!"

 _-Alexei: The Optimistic Hiker-_

"And you want to win to fund these trips?" Chris asked.

"You know it!" Alexei chirped. "Hiking lets me be in nature, stay active, and keep my body strong! What's not to like?"

"Hey, if it works for you," Chris agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Alexei

"I'm a naturally nice person, I think. Maybe I'm not the biggest threat strategically, but I'm hoping the friends I make will keep me safe throughout the competition. And if not, at least it means I made friends!"

* * *

"Well, you're a nice enough guy," Chris complimented. "Want a duck?"

Alexei looked momentarily confused until Chris showed him the basket, the contents of which were dwindling.

"Sure!" Alexei said. "Just a keepsake, or…?"

Chris nodded unconvincingly. "Yep. Just a keepsake. No relevance in any way."

"Okay," Alexei replied. "This is neat! I'll have to keep it as proof that I was here."

Chris waited, staring at Alexei.

"...What?" He said after a moment.

"You're not going to add something like 'But the million dollars will be better?'" Chris asked.

"No, why would I say that? That seems a little cocky this early on," Alexei stated.

Chris was surprised. "Well, at any rate, you can join the others."

Alexei nodded and did so. He saw Maggie and walked over to her.

"Why do people want to keep interacting with me?" She droned under her breath. "I'm clearly standing alone for a reason."

"Hi! I'm Alexei," He introduced. "I thought you could use a friend."

"Hard pass," Maggie said. "I don't need friends."

Alexei frowned. "Everyone needs friends! Who else would we share experiences with?"

"I'm currently sharing this experience with you," Maggie pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"That's 'cause we're friends," Alexei grinned.

Maggie frowned. "Your lack of logic astounds me."

"...But _technically_ , I'm not wrong," Alexei said.

"Shared experiences don't automatically denote friendship," Maggie snapped. "You're sharing this experience with every other contestant. That doesn't mean you're friends with them."

"Not yet, but I want to meet everybody, so I _will_ be friends with them," Alexei explained.

Maggie sighed melodramatically. She was about to say something when another horn sounded.

"Our lucky thirteenth contestant is here!" Chris said. "Let's say hello."

"We're not done here," Maggie hissed to Alexei, who just nodded smugly.

Meanwhile, the next contestant emerged onto the dock. She was a tall, attractive South American-looking girl with tanned skin. She wore a bright yellow tank top and a matching skirt, both with green trim. A green ribbon with the Brazilian flag on it tied in rested her dark brown hair, with a similarly-styled bracelet on her wrist. She wore a brown backpack with several buttons on the straps.

Needless to say, she attracted several stares.

"Eloa," Chris grinned. "What's good?"

Eloa scrunched her face, like she was in deep thought. "Well, I'm on Total Drama, so that's good," she finally said.

"Sweet," Chris replied. "What brought you here, anyway?"

"A boat," Eloa frowned, pointing at the boat which had dropped her off, now receding. "Didn't you see?"

Chris said through gritted teeth, "Of course."

 _-Eloa: The Brazilian Beauty-_

"So, Brazil, eh?" Chris pointed to the ribbon in her hair. "Total Drama's not so popular there. How'd you hear about the show?"

Eloa smiled. "I'm actually internet friends with Sammy from Pahkitew Island," she explained. "She said I should try out."

"Who?" Chris asked, confused.

"Sammy," Eloa repeated.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Chris shrugged.

Eloa sighed. "Samey."

" _Ohhhhhh_!" Chris recognized.

* * *

Confessional: Eloa

"I know I'm pretty, so don't go on about that. I want to show everyone that pretty girls don't have to be stupid! I'm an intellec… intec… inticle… a smart cookie! Like, did you know that there's a Roman god named after the planet Venus? I know, crazy."

* * *

Chris offered the basket to Eloa. "Here, take one. Do they have rubber ducks in Brazil?"

Eloa selected a duck. "Yes, but they're not as common as in North America."

"Huh," Chris shrugged. "You can join the other contestants, then."

"Okay!" Eloa said happily. She walked over to the others. "Hi, everyone!"

Joshua's eyes widened. "I love your buttons!" He walked over and felt one of them. "Is this from _Princess Patsy's Rainbow Adventure?_ "

"Oh my gosh, you're a _Princess Patsy_ fan too?" Eloa said excitedly.

"I've watched every episode in existence, if that's what you mean," Joshua bragged.

"Even the 2008 episode where Patsy has to rescue a talking horse from the Wicked Wizard Willis with her rainbow powers? It was taken out of circulation after-"

"-the horse's voice actor quit the studio!" Joshua finished. "I had to find a bootlegged copy, but yeah."

Logan stared at the duo. "Um… isn't _Princess Patsy's Rainbow Adventure_ a cartoon targeted at… a different audience? Namely, six year old girls."

Joshua and Eloa glared at him.

"And teenagers who live in Sweden and Brazil. Them too," Logan added, and they relaxed.

"What's not to like? It has original storylines," Joshua began.

"Well-written POC and LGBT characters," Eloa added.

"And it's historically accurate!" Joshua finished.

Logan sighed. "Because wizards, talking horses, and fricking _rainbow powers_ are totally historically accurate," he said to himself as Joshua and Eloa continued to converse.

Another foghorn blared and Chris grinned. "There's only a few more contestants to introduce! Let's see who's up next." He turned his gaze to the teen that was getting out of the boat.

She, like Eloa, attracted stares, but for a very different reason. She was clad in a pink dress with a white blazer over it as well as black flats. However, it was her face which was intriguing. Her skin was charcoal-black, and she had wide blue eyes which stared straight ahead. Her hair was stark white. She looked rather eerie.

"Olivia! What's up?" Chris greeted as Olivia strolled over to him.

Either Olivia ignored him or she was unable to reply, because she made no motion to answer him. She merely stared at Chris.

"Silent treatment already, eh?" Chris joked. "Come on, I'm not that scary."

Once again, Olivia didn't reply.

"We had this gimmick in season four," Chris said flatly. "At least B _did_ something."

Olivia, surprising no one, didn't reply, still staring at the host.

 _-Olivia: The Silent Doll-_

"Are you, like, deaf or something? Or are you just choosing to ignore me?" Chris began to get annoyed.

He sighed as Olivia remained motionless.

"You're going to have to speak eventually," The host stated.

* * *

Confessional: Olivia

Ever so slowly, Olivia raises her hands and begins to sign words. Subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. " _Hello. I am Olivia. I am deaf and mute, so you must forgive my lack of communication. Signing is both tedious and pointless unless I'm in a confessional, where it can be translated for the audience._ _Regardless, I feel as though I have the potential to win."_

* * *

Chris picked up the basket of rubber ducks, which had only a few ducks left. "Here, take one."

Slowly, Olivia reached out and grabbed a duck. Then, without prompting, she walked over to the other contestants and stood still. She stared into the distance.

Most of the contestants gave her a wide berth. However, Cole slowly made his way over to the silent girl.

"Hi, I'm Cole," he introduced.

Olivia, not being able to hear him, said nothing.

" _¿Hablas Español?"_ Cole asked. "Because I don't, but if you do at least I'll know."

Olivia said nothing.

"Wait a sec," Cole's eyes widened. " _Are you deaf?"_

Olivia took an involuntary step back. " _You know ASL?"_

" _No, I don't think so, sorry,"_ Cole replied. He was going to say more but was interrupted by Zaheen.

"Wait, so you speak English, Italian, Spanish, _and_ you know sign language?" She scoffed.

Cole's brow furrowed. "No, I just speak English. What are you talking about?"

Maggie snapped her fingers to get his attention. " _Sprichst du Deutsch?"_

" _Nein,"_ Cole replied.

" _Português?"_ Maggie asked.

" _Não."_

" _日本語_ Maggie asked with increasing exasperation.

" _いいえ_ Cole shook his head. "Can't help you there. What's with all this curiosity? Aren't we, like, enemies? Besides, it's Olivia's turn in the- Olivia?"

She had moved to the back of the cluster of people as Cole and Maggie had conversed.

"I guess she's not getting any more screen time," Cole shrugged. "Chris, do your thing."

Chris watched the entire exchange with surprise. He then spoke into a walkie-talkie. "Hey, someone put an extra camera on Cole," he stated.

"Unorthodox," the reply came. It was Caleb's snarky voice. "Why?"

"Do I need to explain myself?" Chris shot at him. "I'm the host. You're the intern. Do it."

He was met with static. "Hello? _Hello?_ Don't change the frequency on me! Ugh!" He hurled the walkie-talkie into the lake. "Remember when I had good interns?"

His funk was disrupted when he heard another blaring horn. He glanced up and smiled at the camera. "Our next contestant is coming! Let's meet them now."

As the next boat arrived, an olive-skinned boy stepped onto the dock. He was of average height and weight and wore a black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and combat boots. Several silver bracelets hung on his wrists. His dark blue eyes darted back and forth and his long, brown hair was combed back and inexplicably had a streak of grey in it. He carried a large briefcase.

"Chris McLean!" He said formally, striding over.

"Robin," Chris returned. "How's it?"

"It is slightly hotter than I am used to, but I can't complain, for I am excited to begin playing…" suddenly, he trailed off. "Your sunglasses are crooked."

Chris frowned. "...So?"

"So fix them!" Robin declared. "I won't converse with someone in such a state of disorder!"

"Dude, they're sunglasses," Chris muttered, but he adjusted them anyway.

 _-Robin: The Type A Perfectionist-_

Robin exhaled. "Sorry. I'm a little on-edge."

"Why?" Chris wondered.

"Oh, no reason," Robin replied a little too quickly. "Organizing keeps me sane, you know?"

"You do you," Chris said lightly.

* * *

Confessional: Robin

He's drumming his fingers on his lap. "Some might say I'm a perfectionist, and I can see the merit in that. But otherwise I'm completely normal. No secrets with me, that's for sure," he chuckled awkwardly. "And I'll be leading my team to victory in no time."

* * *

Robin saw the basket. "I presume I am to take a duck?"

"You presume correctly," Chris confirmed. He took the basket and held it up to Robin. "Pick a duck, any duck."

Robin chose one. "And now?"

"Go stand with the others while the last few people arrive," Chris instructed. Robin nodded and purposefully stride over to the others.

"Hey, hold on a second," Logan's eyes widened in recognition. "You're the guy who hit me with your briefcase!"

Robin stepped back as he viewed Logan's black eye. "Well, I was in a rush! I had a plane to catch!"

"Is that your idea of an apology?" Logan questioned.

"My actions were understandable," Robin insisted.

Logan sighed. "I suppose whatever team you're on will be lucky to have an easy first boot right of the bat."

"Is that your idea of a compliment?" Robin snapped.

Logan glared at him. "What's even in that thing anyway?" He gestured to Robin's briefcase. "A coffee table? An elephant? Enough food to nourish a third-world county?"

"Nothing," Robin said quietly.

"Now you've intrigued me," Logan raised an eyebrow. "What's in the-"

"Nothing!" Robin repeated harshly. "Just buzz off, all right? And your shirt is wrinkled."

Logan looked down at his shirt and chuckled. "Why, yes it is."

"...So fix it," Robin added.

"With what?" Logan smirked. "Unless you've got an ironing board in your briefcase. Which is possible, considering the size."

"Of all the things you could insult, you choose my suitcase?" Robin scoffed. "Looks like you're reaching."

Logan laughed. "You're criticizing my lack of criticism. Ironic."

"{CENSORED} you," Robin spat. The boys glared at each other.

"Okay, that seems like a good time to transition to our next contestant," Chris said warily. "So, um, let's do that."

Another boat drove up. Then, a uniquely dressed individual exited onto the dock.

His hair was unusual, being pink and short, but with several long, large clumps sticking out in several places. However, if that was strange, his outfit was even stranger: he wore a purple waistcoat with sky blue highlights, a pink cravat, a purple coat with gold cuffs and shoulder bands, sky blue pants, and silver boots.

He spread his arms wide and bowed. "Please give it up!" He said in a German accent.

No one moved.

"This is where you applaud, _Untergebene,"_ he prompted. He bowed once more.

Cole began to clap. Then Giuseppe followed suit. Eventually everyone participated in a smattering of confused applause, everyone looking to each other for guidance.

"Thank you," he said. He turned to Chris. "You might as well hand me the money now." Then he paused.

"I-"

"Why, you ask?" The boy continued as soon as Chris started to speak. "For I am Harald Skeithwick, acrobat extraordinaire!" He seemingly finished.

Chris started to say, "So-"

"And I shall dominate the game with my masterful manipulation and skillful… skills," Harald finished somewhat awkwardly.

 _-Harald: The Poisonous Poet-_

"That's great," Chris said dismissively. "You said you were an acrobat?"

"I did and I am!" Harald replied. "I've been performing with a travelling circus since I was a mere child!"

"Neat. Maybe that's why you're so…" Chris waved his hand as he tried to think of the proper word.

"So what?" Harald gasped, offended.

* * *

Confessional: Harald

"What you saw there was merely a preview. I am, to be frank, superior in nearly every aspect of the game. Physical strength? Please! I've been training since I joined the circus! Mental acuity? Of course! My intelligence is unparalleled. Sociality? Look how easily I persuaded the others to applaud! To do do the same, but instead to vote alongside me, shall be a piece of _Kuchen._ "

* * *

Chris looked at Harald once again. "What's with the hair, anyway?" He wondered aloud as he found the basket of rubber ducks.

"Oh?" Harald instinctively looked up before remembering that he wouldn't be able to see it. "Dramatic effect! The audiences at my troupe's circuses want to be shocked!"

"It's certainly shocking," Chris agreed. "Here, take a duck."

Harald gleefully selected one. "How wondrous! How magnificent! How-"

"Yep, it's great," Chris said. "Go join the others on the mat."

Harald gave Chris a thumbs up and trotted over to the others. "Thank you in advance for being so happy for my victory."

Joshua frowned. "That's what we were clapping for? Wow. That's kind of big-headed."

"Pot to kettle," Logan said under his breath.

Meanwhile, Zaheen has pushed her way through the steadily-growing crowd and sidled over to Harald.

"Are you Harald Skeithwick?" Zaheen asked with wide eyes. "I'm a huge fan!"

"Really?" Harald looked genuinely surprised. "I am honoured! Would you like an autograph?"

Zaheen nodded. "Yes, please!" As Harald fumbled for a pen, Zaheen rolled her eyes and made a 'gag me' sign to the nearest camera. "Here, I have one."

She procured a pen from thin air. "Here."

"Are you a magician?" Harald asked. "Fantastical! Hold out your hand." As she did, Harald drew a smiley face on her palm.

"Thank you sir!" Zaheen said.

Harald smiled. Then a lightbulb went off in his head. "I have a proposition for you, um…"

"Zaheen," the magician supplied.

"Zaheen," Harald continued. "What say you to an alliance? Though I may be in peak physical condition, in case my team loses I may need a minion- er, _partner-_ to vote alongside."

She grinned. "I was just thinking the same thing. I'm in."

"To the final two!" Harald shouted rather loudly as if he were roasting.

"To the finale two," Zaheen agreed. Once again, she rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking, "Idiot."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Zaheen said innocently. When they heard a ship's horn they turned to watch Chris.

"While many contestants have been introduced, a few more are arriving!" Chris said. "Let's see who's next."

The next contestant to step off the boat was a tiny girl, even shorter than Maddie, who had previously been the smallest one on the mat. She had black hair tied into a bun, contrasting with her pale face and even paler freckles. Her attire was casual- a red hoodie, gray sweatpants, and white sneakers. Slung over her shoulder was an expensive-looking camera.

"Chloe!" Chris said. "How are you?"

"Yes," Chloe said distractedly. She was looking around and occasionally snapping pictures with her camera. "Yes, I'm fine."

She walked away from him without a word.

"Yo, Chloe!" Chris snapped. "Get back here!"

"Hm?" Chloe realized she had wandered away. "Sorry. I'm just documenting, you know."

"No, I don't know," Chris interjected, stopping Chloe from picking up he camera again. "What, exactly, are you documenting?"

"I'm trying to figure out where we are. I'll cross-reference this to my other photos later, but I'm trying to prove that New Zealand is a sham."

Chris looked confused. "Like… all of New Zealand?"

"Yep," Chloe offered no further explanation.

 _-Chloe: The Conspiracy Theorist-_

"So where are we? I need latitude and longitude, please," Chloe said.

Chris massaged his temples. "I don't really know the coordinates or anything, but we're halfway between Australia and New Zealand, but-"

Chloe suddenly pulled out what appeared to be a voice recorder. "Location: Tasman Sea, about one thousand klicks east of Sydney."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe

"I've always known two truths: There are things that exist which nobody knows about, and there are things that don't exist that everyone _thinks_ they know about. The moon landing. Aliens. New Zealand. I want to let everyone know what's real and what's not before corrupt people can use it to their advantage."

* * *

"Here, take a rubber duck," Chris prompted, holding out the basket. "I'm ninety percent sure that these exist."

"So there's a ten percent chance that they don't? I'll have to look further into this," Chloe said. She picked a duck, leaving only one left in the basket.

"That was a joke," Chris said dryly. "You sure take everything literally."

"Not everything," Chloe huffed. She made her way over to the other contestants.

"Chloe, right?" Alexei asked as he stuck out his hand. "I'm Alexei."

"Hi Alexei," Chloe smiled.

"So you really think that New Zealand might not exist?" Alexei asked with wide eyes.

"I don't think it, I know it," Chloe said. "Have you ever met someone who's actually from New Zealand?"

"...Yes," Alexei frowned.

"Then they lied. Those so-called 'New Zealanders' are just Australians with delusions of uniqueness," Chloe said. "They've been tasked with validating the myth."

"Woah," Alexei's eyes widened. "I had no idea."

"Oh, come on. That's ridiculous," Maggie interjected in her monotone. "Obviously New Zealand is real. What purpose would creating an entire fake country be?"

"Experiments, those which no good government would ever willingly approve, take place somewhere where New Zealand pretends to be," Chloe explained. "That's the leading theory. Or possibly aliens."

"Aliens," Maggie repeated. "You're certifiably insane, you know that?"

"I guess you don't hold belief," Chloe sighed. "It's all right. Not many do."

Maggie just shook her head.

"Here comes our last contestant!" Chris interrupted as he heard the horn. "Will this boat hold our million-dollar winner?"

The last contestant slowly made his way off the boat and onto the dock. He was muscular and rather handsome, with tanned brown skin, wavy black hair, and a rough jawline. He wore grey jeans and a flannel sleeveless hoodie, with athletic running shoes.

He hung his head as he made his way over to Chris.

"Ambrose, my man!" Chris raised his hand for a high five.

Ambrose weakly returned the gesture, but his heart wasn't in it. "Hey, McLean."

"Wait a second," Koh's voice came from the crowd. "You're Ambrose Storm!"

"Yeah, famous track star and all that," Ambrose stated halfheartedly.

"He is, isn't he!" Joshua said. "Sorry to hear about your breakup with-"

"Don't say it," Ambrose said warningly. "Please."

 _-Ambrose: The Broken-Hearted Track Star-_

"Ready to blow away the competition?" Chris asked, giving him finger pistols.

"Whatever," Ambrose shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

Chris' brow furrowed. "Doesn't matter? A million dollars at stake, and you say it doesn't matter?"

"Not really," Ambrose sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose

"Ever since my girlfriend left me, I've just been in this funk. I don't want to train or do my promos. I _especially_ don't want to show up at the next summer Olympics. I signed up for Total Drama in a last ditch attempt to distract me, but honestly… if something doesn't change soon, I might quit the sport for good."

* * *

"You get the honour of having the last duck of the game," Chris said as he handed Ambrose the duck. "Hold onto it."

"All right," Ambrose said simply.

Chris gestured to the contestants. "Stand with these guys until I say so, okay?"

"Cool," Ambrose walked over. Immediately, he was clamoured with questions from the other contestants.

"What's it like, being famous?"

"Are you going to the Olympics?"

"Are you single?"

This last question was asked by Eloa, who had pushed her way to the front of the group. "I mean, hypothetically speaking."

Ambrose stared blankly at her.

"Um…" Eloa blushed. "I'm Eloa."

"Ambrose," Ambrose said. "And yes."

"Well, good," Eloa cringed at her own response. "I mean, it's not good that you're single, but it's good for others. Because you're available. If someone wanted to date you."

Ambrose blinked. "...What?"

"I think I'll stop talking now," Eloa blushed. "Continue in whatever you were doing… Amby."

"Amby?"

"Just a nickname I thought of," Eloa said quickly. "You don't have to use it if you don't want to."

"I won't," Ambrose said, not unkindly.

They were interrupted by Chris. "Attention, everyone!"

Eloa snapped her head over and walked away from Ambrose quickly.

"Welcome to Total Drama: The K'wala Islands!" Chris announced. The cast cheered. "The winner of this season is somewhere on this dock."

"It's gonna be me!" Joshua grinned.

"No, it shall be I who takes home the prize!" Harald retorted.

"Glad to see some competitive attitudes coming out right away," Chris winked. "Now, who's ready to pick teams?"

They cheered again.

"Well," Chris gave a devilish smile, "If you look at the underside of your rubber ducks, you'll see a coloured dot. These dots correspond to your team for the beginning of the season, although," he raised an eyebrow. "It nay change. So flip over your ducks! I'll get everyone with green dots to come forward first."

There was a mild kerfuffle as the contestants eagerly searched their ducks for the dots. Eventually, six people came forward.

"Let's see who we have here," Chris began.

"Cole!"

"Yessir," Cole smiled.

"Diego!"

" _El Zorro_ is in the house!" Diego said.

"Harald!"

"Present," Harald bowed.

"Maddie!"

"Hehehehe…" Maddie chuckled as she played with her lighter.

"Olivia!"

Olivia silently raised her hand.

"And Zaheen!"

"I am also here," Zaheen acknowledged flatly.

Chris looked at the six of them- Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Olivia, and Zaheen. "You six will now be known as… _The Dastardly Dragonflies!"_

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Hey… I think my team's pretty good. We have some smart people, and some strong people, and some nice people… I like us."

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"This couldn't have gone better if I had planned it! My pawn- oh, excuse me, _ally_ \- is here, not to mention that I'm clearly the smartest person on the team. Here I was thinking this would be a challenge."

* * *

After they moved away from Chris, the host looked at the remaining players. "If you have a red dot on your rubber duck, Now would be the time to step up."

Six more contestants stood in front of him, and Chris surveyed them. "All right. Who's on this team? We have…"

"Alexei!"

"I'm here!" Alexei waved his hand.

"Chloe!"

Chloe merely waved. She was busy taking photos of the horizon.

"Joshua!"

"Aka The King!" Joshua exclaimed.

"Koh!"

"'Sup?" Koh chuckled, fiddling with her knife.

"Logan!"

"Ready for battle," Logan nodded.

"And Maggie!"

"Yes," Maggie replied monotonically.

Chris waved his hands in front of them- Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie. "I hereby christen you… _The Terrible Tarantulas!_ "

* * *

Confessional: Alexei

"The people on this team seem nice enough! I think I'll be able to make friends with each of them!" He pauses in thought. "Well, maybe not _all_ of them…"

* * *

Confessional: Koh

She's cackling. "So then Charles says to the duck, 'No, you are!' And then he stabs it!" She laughs again before sighing. "That's a good one."

* * *

Chris looked at the last six contestants. "It goes without saying, but if your duck has a yellow dot, please come on over!"

Once they did, Chris looked at each of them in turn. "This could be a good team. Let's see who's here!"

"Ambrose!"

"Yeah," Ambrose sighed.

"Eloa!"

"Yeah," Eloa tried to imitate Ambrose's deep voice but failed.

"Giuseppe!"

Giuseppe looked up when his name was called. " _Ciao!_ "

"Marisa!"

"Let's do this!" Marisa exclaimed.

"Pearl!"

"Here," Pearl sniffed, reapplying her sanitizer.

"And Robin!"

"Present and accounted for," Robin smiled.

Chris viewed these six teens- Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, and Robin. "You did will henceforth be referred to as… _The Wicked Wasps!_ "

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"Hm. I was hoping for a team with four girls on it so that we could outnumber the boys immediately. So for now it looks like Giuseppe will be joining the girls' alliance… once I get around to forming it."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"I believe this is the team to beat! We've got athleticism, we've got intelligence, and we've obviously got my superior leadership skills."

* * *

"As an added bonus," Chris then said, "We've got a special reward for each team, which should make it easier for you to get things going back at your team camps." He shouted off to the side, "Interns! Show them what they've won!"

The three interns all walked (or jogged, in Rachel's case) on-screen.

"For the Dastardly Dragonflies," Caleb said flatly, "Four chickens will be waiting for you at camp."

"For the Terrible Tarantulas," Frederick added, "Fifty matches will be waiting for you at camp!"

"And for the Wicked Wasps," Rachel finished, "Materials for a shelter will be waiting for you at camp!"

"Good work," Chris said. "Now get out of here."

They exited.

"Now that that's settled," Chris began. "We're ready to begin!"

"Begin what, exactly?" Logan asked warily.

Chris grinned. "Thanks for asking, Logan! Because your first challenge as teams will be starting right now!"

"No way!" Maddie gasped, shocked.

"Hey, I never said this would be a cakewalk," Chris grinned.

* * *

 **That's episode one part one, y'all.** **Head on over to part two!**


	3. Ep2: We Shan’t Dally Nor Dawdle

**(Starting next chapter, I'll be responding to the reviews here)**

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_

 _(Starting next chapter, your predictions will go here…_

 _...and the scores will go right beneath them.)_

 _The Teams:_

 _Dastardly Dragonflies: Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Olivia, Zaheen_

 _Terrible Tarantulas: Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _Wicked Wasps: Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

 _Eliminated: None_

* * *

 **I think we're good to go!**

* * *

Previously…

"Now that that's settled," Chris began. "We're ready to begin!"

"Begin what, exactly?" Logan asked warily.

Chris grinned. "Thanks for asking, Logan! Because your first challenge as teams will be starting right now!"

"No way!" Maddie gasped, shocked.

"Hey, I never said this would be a cakewalk," Chris grinned. "So, now I need everyone to pair up with someone on their team. Preferably of the opposite sex to keep things even. I'll go into further detail once you do that."

The camera focused in on the Dastardly Dragonflies first.

"Ooh! Ooh! I want to go with Olivia! She's preeeeeetty," Maddie grinned, reaching out a hand to touch Olivia's hair.

Cole smacked her hand away. "Chris said that he wanted us to go with someone of the opposite gender."

"He said preferably!" Maddie complained.

Cole shrugged. "Isn't this what enemies do? Oppose each other? So _I'll_ be going with Olivia." He turned to Olivia and signed, " _We have to pair up for the challenge. Can I go with you_?"

Olivia nodded as Maddie glared.

"Ha! There it is again! You definitely know sign language!" Zaheen declared.

"No, I don't," Cole stared at her, confused.

Zaheen sighed in exasperation and rubbed her temples. Then she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Shall we be partners?" Harald asked with a smirk. "It seems only fair to let my minion- _ally,_ I have to remember that!- join me."

"Of course, Mr. Harald!" Zaheen said with a wide-eyed look.

Harald chuckled. "Harald is fine, dear."

Zaheen's eye twitched, but Harald didn't notice.

Diego had been admiring his sword. "What beautiful workmanship. Keith sure knows how to make them."

"Hey, sword guy!" Maddie shouted into his ear. Diego flinched so hard that he elbowed her in the ribs.

Maddie started to cry.

"Ah, no," Diego frowned. "Please don't cry, little girl! It was an accident! I didn't mean to- I reacted without thinking- I, um, what are you doing?"

Maddie has instantly stopped crying and starting tugging his sword out of its scabbard. "Ooh, pointy!"

"Don't touch that!" Diego growled. "I need to find a partner…" He saw that Cole, Olivia, Harald and Zaheen were in pairs.

He looked back at Maddie. "Great."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Not only am I stuck with Maddie for the challenge, I fear that I may be stuck with her for the _game_ , too. Harald and Zaheen are close, as are Cole and Olivia. Unless I can convince the others to vote her out and use me as the swing vote… actually, that's not a bad idea. I'll look into it further."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Terrible Tarantulas also has to select their partners.

Koh lazily pointed to Logan. "You. Nerd. You're with me."

"I am, am I?" Logan asked. "And why is that, may I ask?"

"You're smart. I'm strong. It's a good combo," Koh said. Then she glared at him. "And if you don't, I'll insert this knife right…" she traced her hand down his chest, finishing on is navel. "...here."

"I'm quivering in my boots," Logan said dryly. "Like you'd kill another contestant."

Koh laughed. "Try me."

"Am I not already?" Logan asked.

"Stop asking those condescending questions! Koh blustered.

Logan smiled. "Sure, I'd love to partner with you. Thanks for asking."

As Koh glared at him, Chloe approached Alexei.

"Alexei?" Chloe asked. "You're the kind of person who I could see holding the belief."

"The belief?" Alexei asked.

"Yes," Chloe confirmed, which didn't clear things up. "Do you want to be partners?"

Alexei looked at Maggie. "Is that okay?"

"I couldn't care less who you pair up with," Maggie said, though her tone sounded almost hurt.

Alexei turned back to Chloe. "Sounds good!"

Maggie was tapped on the shoulder. "Don't touch me," she said, turning around to see a smiling Joshua.

"Looks like we're partners!" Joshua exclaimed.

Maggie sighed. "It appears that way."

"You'd better not lose," Joshua warned.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Likewise."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"I hope my team is good enough to compete on my level. I don't plan on losing, so if they do, The King is going to be mad."

* * *

The Wicked Wasps were discussing their pairs.

"Dibs on the hottie!" Eloa suddenly shouted, startling everyone. As they turned their heads to her, she went red.

"I mean, that is if you're okay with it," Eloa turned to Ambrose.

"Wait, me?" Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were talking about him." He pointed to Giuseppe.

" _Perché il ragazzo depresso ma spaventosamente muscoloso mi sta indicando?"_ Giuseppe babbled. " _Inoltre, cosa sta succedendo?"_

"But yeah, I'll go with you," Ambrose said. "Although, um, could you stop calling me hot? I get that enough back home."

Eloa nodded. "Sure thing, um, guy of average attractiveness."

That coaxed a laugh out of Ambrose, which made Eloa go even redder. However, he returned to his sullen state not long after.

" _Qualcuno potrebbe dirmi seriamente cosa sta succedendo?"_ Giuseppe shrugged and raised his hands as if he were asking what was going on.

"Ah, let's see..." Robin stepped in front of him. "We…" he gestured to the group. "Pair…" he held up two fingers and then mimed getting into groups of two.

Giuseppe gave him a thumbs up. He turned to Pearl. " _Non ho assolutamente idea di chi tu sia, ma vuoi unirti a me?"_

"Nuh-uh. You're going with me," Marisa grabbed his arm. Giuseppe just shrugged.

"Which leaves me and…" Pearl stared at Robin. "...you."

"With my superior leadership skills I'm sure we'll be fine," Robin smiled. He stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"I don't do handshakes," Pearl sniffed. "They're unhygienic."

Robin frowned. "I assure you that my hygiene is superior!"

"Is _everything_ about you superior?" Pearl asked.

"Most things," Robin relented.

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"This is going to be a _long_ challenge, isn't it."

* * *

"Are we all paired up?" Chris looked at the group. "Good. _Bring in the scarves!_ "

Caleb, Rachel, and Frederick (who was, for some reason, wearing a shower cap) walked in, each holding three scarves each. Without explanation, they went to each team and crouched down. Then, they started to tie the partners' legs together.

Harald snapped his fingers. "Oh, it's a-"

"Don't say it!" Chris warned. "I'll tell you once you're all ready."

A few moments later, the interns left.

"All right. For this challenge, all of you will be competing three-legged," Chris smirked.

Several people groaned, Diego, Zaheen, Pearl being among the loudest.

"So what are we doing?" Logan asked.

Chris chuckled once. Twice. Soon he was caught in a fit of laughter.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Chris wiped a tear from his eye. "We're not doing the challenge yet."

" _What?"_ Diego complained. Beside him, Maddie was trying to set fire to his hair. He swatted her hand away.

Chris checked his watch. "We'll be starting soon. Until then, you'll be shown to your team camp by one of the interns."

"What do we do until the challenge?" Joshua asked.

"Get settled in, I don't care," Chris shrugged. "However, be warned that the first challenge _will_ be an elimination round."

"Tough," Marisa said. "But not unusual, as in every season there's been an elimination within the first two episodes."

"...Yes," Chris shrugged. "The interns will show you to your camps. See you at the challenge!"

The interns started to guide the teams away.

* * *

Confessional: Cole and Olivia- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I'm a tad clumsy," Cole awkwardly chuckles. "It's probably because I've grown a foot in the last year. Anyway, it might be difficult for me to move around, especially if I'm tied up." While he says this, he subconsciously signs the words.

Olivia nods and signs, " _My small stature might make things worse. But we never know."_

"No, we don't," Cole agrees.

* * *

Confessional: Alexei and Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"If I had to be paired with anyone," Chloe says, "I'm glad it was you and not one of the other boys."

"I'm just glad I didn't have to go with Koh," Alexei laughs nervously. "She's not watching the confessionals, right?"

"You really never know…" Chloe trails off mysteriously.

Alexei gulps.

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe and Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"You know what? I'm kind of happy with this arrangement," Marisa says. "It gives me the opportunity to teach Giuseppe here some words that could be relevant to the challenge."

" _lo apprezzerei davvero se qualcuno mi dicesse cosa stava succedendo,"_ Giuseppe looks around, confused.

"Exactly!" Marisa shouts. "...What?"

Sighing, Giuseppe opens his dictionary.

* * *

"All right, Dragonflies," Caleb droned. "You're coming with me."

He raised his arm and gestured for them to follow him.

"Let's go!" Harald declared. He immediately took a step with his left leg, which was tied to Zaheen's right, causing the magician to stumble.

"Idiot!" Zaheen hopped forward. "I mean… can we attempt to synchronize our steps?"

"Fine," Harald acquiesced.

Cole fell over, taking Olivia with him. "Whoops."

Maddie decided to run forward, leaving Diego to scramble forward in an attempt to stay upright.

"Slow down!" He complained.

"No!" Maddie pouted, continuing to run. "Let's go fast!"

Cole fell over again. "Whoops."

"Get back here!" Caleb called to Diego and Maddie, who were accelerating past him.

"Are they even aware of where they're going?" Zaheen wondered.

Caleb sighed. "The way is marked, but given their intelligence levels, I doubt it."

"That's not very nice!" Harald grinned. "I like it!"

"Whoops," Cole said as he and Olivia fell over again.

"GET THAT LIGHTER AWAY FROM ME!" They heard Diego call out.

Caleb stared at the camera and mimed putting a gun to his head.

* * *

Confessional: Caleb

"You know, there was a reason why I was hesitant to accept this position. The fact that I'm currently leading some of the dumbest individuals on the faces of the {CENSORED} planet is proof of that."

* * *

"Left! Right! Left! Right!" Rachel instructed. "Get those knees up!"

"Can… we… slow… down?" Logan wheezed.

"What's the matter, nerd?" Koh smirked at him. "Can't take a little exercise?"

"Asthma," Logan said.

Koh frowned. "...Oh."

"Hey, don't make fun of someone with a medical condition," Alexei frowned as the group slowed. "That's not necessary."

"I mean, there's always the chance that he could be faking in the attempt to make us underestimate him," Chloe pointed out.

"What?" Alexei was surprised.

"We have to think of every single possibility," Chloe said. "Anyone here could be a liar."

Alexei frowned. "No… why would people lie?"

"Dude, people lie all the time," Koh cackled. "My name's not even Koh!"

"What is it?" Rachel asked from the front.

"Not telling you," Koh simply said. "Hey, where's the Swedish guy and the statue girl?"

Rachel frowned. "Maggie and Joshua? I could've sworn they were right…" she turned around.

Maggie and Joshua were lying on the ground. Maggie was attempting to get as far from Joshua as possible, while Joshua was just trying to stand.

"He tried to push me over so he could pass me!" Maggie complained, a hint of agitation heard in her normally monotone voice.

Joshua raised his hands, exasperated. "I just wanted to win!"

"We're _tied together!"_ Maggie replied.

"And your expect me to remember that?" Joshua exclaimed.

"Yes!"

* * *

Confessional: Rachel

She's doing leg lifts. "I thought this was one of those shows where you help people lose weight. Turns out it's more like… oh, what's it called? It was on the tip of my tongue just a minute ago…"

* * *

Frederick adjusted the swimming cap on his head. "We'll be at your base camp soon."

"What's the point of a base camp, anyway?" Ambrose wondered aloud.

"Ooh, good question," Eloa complimented.

"Thanks…" Ambrose said warily. "Any ideas?"

"We shouldn't question orders from Chris McLean," Robin stated. "I'm sure he has our wellbeing in mind."

"Like when he made contestants jump off a cliff into shark-infested waters? Season one, episode two," Marisa recited. "Or dumped them from a plane? Season six, episode one. Or made them compete on a dangerous superhero-themed obstacle course? Season two, episode-"

"We get it," Ambrose interrupted. "So the general consensus is that nobody has an answer to my question?"

"There's a much more pressing matter at hand," Pearl pointed out. "Why is Frederick wearing a swim cap?"

"Are you going swimming?" Eloa asked innocently.

Frederick shook his head. "My hair wasn't looking good. After I complained to production, all they did was give me this," he pouted.

"You complained to production… about a bad hair day?" The corner of Ambrose's mouth twitched up.

" _Non capisco nulla di questa conversazione,"_ Giuseppe sighed.

"Nobody understands what you're saying, Giuseppe," Robin told him. "For this reason, I ask that you cease talking until you can easily access your dictionary. Are you okay with that?"

" _Non so se ti sei reso conto di questo, ma non capisco, porta manopola ignorante,"_ Giuseppe said good naturedly.

"He can't understand you," Marisa told Robin. "Don't worry. I'm going to teach him some English before the challenge."

"You really think you'll have enough time? Good luck," Ambrose said.

"Good luck!" Eloa agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Frederick

"I don't consider myself a narcissist. Being concerned about my looks is completely normal. I have other interests beside my hair… I just haven't been able to show them because it's been a really bad hair day."

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"Looks like we've arrived," Caleb said.

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

"And we're here!" Rachel said.

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"Hey, we made it," Frederick said.

"Are you sure?" Marisa looked around. "The camp… it's empty."

Indeed, the six contestants and intern stood in a forested clearing. However, there was nothing there, except…

"Materials for building a shelter," Ambrose pointed out. "Like we were promised."

" _We just got to camp. They found the matches._ _Are you there?"_ Rachel's voice was heard. Frederick pulled a walkie-talkie out of his belt.

" _Just got there. For some reason, Maddie's attempting to juggle the chickens,"_ Caleb was heard as well.

"We're here too," Frederick agreed. "Can we tell them?"

" _Yep_ ," Rachel confirmed.

" _Good. Over and out,"_ Caleb said.

"Over and out," Frederick agreed.

The scene changed to a montage of the three interns speaking to their teams.

Frederick turned to the Wicked Wasps. "Wasps, we lied."

They looked confused.

Rachel gestured to the clearing. "This is the site of your camp. However, your first challenge isn't starting soon. It's starting now."

This did nothing to clear up the confusion.

"To win the challenge," Caleb explained, "You must complete three objectives. First, you have to create a fire pit six feet in diameter. The fire inside must be consistent and large. What that means is up to you. Second, you must collect enough food for three days. Once again, this is up to interpretation. Assume that none of you will be eliminated when portioning it out. Third, you must create or find a shelter large enough to fit all six of you inside," He finished.

"Once you do all of these things, I'll check your work. The first team to finish will win an advantage in the next challenge. The last team, however, will be going to elimination," Frederick said.

"So are you guys ready?" Rachel asked.

"You'd better be, because your challenge starts now!" Caleb stated.

The contestants looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

* * *

Confessional: Chris

His hair is wet and he's wrapped in a towel. He sips a drink from a coconut. "You know, I suppose there are some advantages to having interns do your work. _Some._ "

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"All right, everyone," Zaheen said as she and Harald awkwardly shuffled over. "I believe it's obvious what we need to do."

"Oh?" Diego scoffed. "Who elected you leader?"

"Would you like to contribute any ideas?" Zaheen asked him dryly.

"...Continue," Diego eventually told her.

"We already have four chickens," Zaheen pointed to the animals, which were tied to a tree. "So food is going to be the easiest job. I think Olivia and Cole should do this."

"Why?" Cole asked.

"This job requires the least amount of communication," Zaheen snapped. "And the least skill, which might be necessary given the fact that you can't walk more than three steps without falling."

"Fair enough," Cole said.

"The rest of us will be collecting firewood and materials for shelter," Zaheen instructed. "Luckily, we have a bonus in that Maddie has her lighter."

"You're not going to be not going to be not going to be using it!" Maddie protested. "That's was a triple negative, right?" She turned to Diego, who nodded. Then she turned back to Zaheen. "So… grrrr!"

Zaheen sighed. "Relax, you'll be the one lighting the fire."

"Yay!" Maddie cheered. She attempted to spin in a circle, but Diego stopped her. "Do you want gasoline? Butane? Propane?"

Zaheen shook her head. "I'm not risking losing points because of an explosion. Just the lighter."

"Aww," Maddie pouted.

"Is everyone good?" The magician asked.

"Wonderful!" Harald agreed.

"Then let's go," Zaheen said.

* * *

Confessional: Harald and Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"It appears as though my ally has taken control of the team!" Harald said. "How very heinous!"

"Now we just need to choose who we want to ally with," Zaheen explained. "And who we want to betray."

"I love being in control!" Harald laughs. "As an acrobat, I-"

The confessional quickly turns off.

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

"All right. How are we going to skin this cat?" Koh asked.

"We're skinning cats?" Joshua gasped.

"No, you ignoramus," Maggie, who was beside him, snapped. "It's an expression."

"I'm a foreigner!" Joshua protested.

Maggie sighed. "If I untie this scarf, will I be disqualified?"

"Yes!" Rachel shouted from afar.

"Terrific," Maggie said.

"There's actually this theory about cats that I was doing some reading on," Chloe brightened. "Cats might be aliens from a planet designed to-"

"Lame!" Koh interrupted.

"Hey, let her finish," Alexei chided.

"It's alright, I'll tell you later," Chloe sighed.

"Can we return to the original topic of conversation?" Logan asked.

Koh elbowed him. "Nobody cares!"

"Actually, I do. I'd like to win," Joshua mentioned.

"And I," Maggie said.

"Me too," Chloe and Alexei said at the same time.

Koh frowned. "...Fine."

"Why don't we just all work on a task at the same time? It has the least potential for error," Maggie said.

"Let's do it!" Joshua cheered, raising his fist, accidentally clipping the side of Maggie's head on the way.

"Yes, let's," Logan agreed. Koh just scowled.

* * *

Confessional: Logan and Koh

"Why isn't anybody finding me scary?" Koh complains. "It's ticking me off!"

"Have you considered that yelling all the time and dressing in dark colours doesn't automatically increase your frightfulness?" Logan asked.

"Have you considered not communicating in a way that involves asking condescending questions?" Koh shot back.

"Do I really ask a lot of questions?" Logan wondered. "Wow. I guess I do."

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"I shall take it upon myself to delegate tasks upon each of us!" Robin decided.

"Why?" Marisa asked.

Robin frowned. "Because I volunteered."

"Does anyone else want to volunteer?" Marisa asked.

"I'd take a stab at it," Ambrose said.

"No!" Robin snapped. "I'm leading, and you're following! That is the way it must be!"

"Why?" Marisa asked again.

"...I shall delegate leadership to Ambrose," Robin finally said. "On the condition that I can lead us some other time."

"Okay," Ambrose rubbed his hands together. "Can anyone make fire?"

"Hand sanitizer is flammable," Pearl said.

"Not what I'm asking, but helpful," Ambrose said. "You can dump some on the fire pit."

"Like I'd waste it!" Pearl scolded.

"Let me ask Giuseppe," Marisa said. She took Giuseppe's dictionary and flopped through it. " _Tu… rendere… fuoco?_ "

Giuseppe brightened. " _Si posso farlo!_ "

" _Si_ means yes, right?" Ambrose asked. "Good. You two collect wood and build the pit."

"I think we should build the shelter!" Eloa brightly said. "Because of your… big… muscles," she started to drool.

"Just what I was thinking," Ambrose said somewhat awkwardly. "Which leaves Robin and Pearl to get food. Can you do that?"

"Ye of little faith. Of course I can get food," Robin said.

"Me too," Pearl agreed.

"Let's move out!" Ambrose smirked.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose and Eloa

"I feel like I like to lead," Ambrose said. "Keeps my mind busy."

"Yeah! Ambrose never thinks about his ex when he's leading!" Eloa agrees.

At this, Ambrose sobers and slowly lowers his head.

"Whoops," Eloa cringes.

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

Cole and Olivia were walking side by side down a path.

" _I think animals use paths like these,"_ Cole signed to her. " _That might mean there's a source of food."_

" _You think?"_ Olivia signed back.

" _I did some time in boy scouts,"_ Cole replied. " _So that might-"_

He was abruptly cut off as he fell over, taking Olivia with her.

"Whoops," Cole said aloud.

Olivia chuckled silently. " _There's a caterpillar on your nose."_

Cole raised an eyebrow. " _Is there?"_ He picked it off. " _Well, would you look at that._ "

They slowly stood.

" _I'm a tad clumsy, if you haven't noticed,"_ Cole smiled.

" _You? Clumsy? No,"_ Olivia said with a look of shock on her face.

Cole nodded. " _I'm serious! I've always been a little clumsy. And signing while walking isn't-"_

They fell over again.

" _Sorry,"_ Cole apologized.

Olivia merely shrugged. Then her eyes widened. " _Behind you! Goat."_

Cole turned around. There was a little goat nibbling at a plant. "Oh, hi, little guy."

" _We can eat that,"_ Olivia nudged him.

Cole was shocked. " _I'm not eating him!"_

Olivia shook her head. " _Not the goat, the plant."_

Cole inspected the plant- a bush with red berries. " _Better than nothing. I suppose production would tell us if they were poisonous."_

" _With Chris, you never know,"_ Olivia smiled as she signed.

Cole laughed.

* * *

Confessional: Cole and Olivia

" _I think the challenge is going well,"_ Olivia signs.

"Yeah," Cole agrees. He signs for Olivia's benefit. "Those berries are pretty tasty. The goat had the right idea."

" _Hopefully the rest of the team is ready to eat eggs and berries for the next few days,"_ Olivia shrugs.

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

All three pairs were in the same forested area, searching for wood.

"What was it, Leugen?" Joshua called over to the servant. "Long for fire, short for shelter?"

"Long for shelter, short for fire," Logan corrected. "I'm thinking we should stack them like a log cabin."

"Do you think that's going to keep the heat in?" Maggie asked him flatly.

Logan bent down to grab a stick. "It doesn't matter. As long as it fits all six of us, it'll suffice for the challenge."

"And then what happens when we have to sleep in it?" Maggie challenged. "It won't suffice then."

"I'd prefer winning the challenge to staying warm for one extra night," Logan stated. "Besides. We're in New Zealand. How cold is it going to get?"

"You mean Australia," Chloe corrected. "New Zealand isn't real."

"She's right," Alexei agreed. "She explained it to me. They've been employed by the Australian government as a ploy to convince more people to come to Australia."

"That's bull," Maggie snapped.

"Can you prove the opposite?" Chloe turned to face her.

"Yes," Maggie replied. "Where was _The Hobbit_ filmed?"

"Australia," Chloe said patiently, as though she were teaching a small child.

"Where's Taika Waititi from?" Maggie asked.

"Australia."

"Where is the kiwi bird native to?" Maggie asked with increasing exasperation.

"Australia," Chloe said. "I understand your confusion. You've been fed those lies by society."

"This is a pointless conversation," Maggie groaned. "I'm sorry you have to listen to her, Alexei."

Alexei frowned.

Maggie turned around, Joshua by her side. "I'm going to collect coconuts and fruit. Don't follow me."

Joshua shrugged apologetically. They left.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua and Maggie

"It annoys me to no end that Chloe is feeding lie after lie to Alexei," Maggie gripes.

"Why?" Joshua innocently asks her.

Maggie doesn't show any awkwardness, but it's tinged in her normally level tone. "Because… he doesn't deserve to be lied to."

"Huh," Joshua says.

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"That should be enough wood," Marisa said. She and Giuseppe had been carrying sticks to their fire pit. She gave Giuseppe a thumbs up.

Giuseppe started to arrange the sticks in a teepee-shaped pile. Soon, using two rocks knocked together, sparks flew and caught the tinder.

"Aha!" Marisa exclaimed.

"Aha!" Giuseppe copied her, adjusting the kindling so it, too, caught fire.

Soon, a small blaze burned. Giuseppe started to add sticks. "Aha!" He said again as the fire grew.

Once they were satisfied with the size of the fire, Marisa rolled over a log and gestured for him to sit beside her.

"I'm going to teach you English," Marisa decided. "So that we'll have some relevant plot armour and character development. A love interest is exactly what I need."

"... _Che cosa?"_ Giuseppe asked.

"Me…" Marisa pointed to herself, "Teach…" She mimed writing something down. "You…" she pointed to Giuseppe. "English."

"English?" Giuseppe asked.

Marisa nodded. "Okay. So what can I start with… how about…"

She looked at Giuseppe and nodded, giving him a thumbs up. "Yes." Then she gave a thumbs down and shook her head. "No."

Giuseppe concentrated. "Yes," he said, nodding. "No," he added, shaking his head.

"Yes!" Marisa said.

Giuseppe smiled. "Yes!"

Marisa took a second to decide what she would teach him next. "Me," she pointed to herself. "You," she pointed to Giuseppe.

Giuseppe closed his eyes and mouthed the words. Then he opened them again. "Me," he pointed to himself. "You," he pointed to Marisa. "Yes," he nodded. "No," he shook his head.

"Yes!" Marisa gave him a quick side hug. "At this rate, you're going to know English in no time!"

Giuseppe grinned.

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe and Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"This is just the beginning," Marisa says. "Once Giuseppe learns a suitable amount of English, I'll be able to start on that relationship between us, which should give me even more plot armour. That and the girls' alliance, which I really need to mention."

"Me English!" Giuseppe says excitedly.

Marisa glances at him. "This comes first though."

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"This looks like an acceptable amount of firewood!" Harald said, looking at the sticks that had been collected.

"Did somebody say FIRE?" Maddie poked her head out from behind a tree.

"Yes, Maddie!" Diego smacked his forehead with his free hand. "Just as we've said twelve times, to which you've replied twelve times in the same manner!"

"Maddie likes fire," Maddie grinned.

"Regardless, it does look like a suitable amount," Zaheen agreed. "However, before we return, Harald and I have a proposition for you two."

"I'll do it!" Maddie dramatically said.

"Hold on," Diego frowned. "This is sounding a little bit like an alliance."

Harald patted him on the shoulder. "That it is! We four vote for Olivia the next time we can."

"Aww, Olive? She's pretty," Maddie said. "Why not Corncob? He's useless."

"I wonder the same thing," Diego scowled. He absentmindedly fiddled with the jolt of his sword.

"Olivia's lack of communication will hinder us in challenges," Zaheen said. "As will Cole's apparent lack of intelligence, but less so."

"I want to vote for Corncob," Maddie frowned.

Zaheen rubbed her temples. "As long as you _don't_ vote for one of us, that's fine. Just don't expect him to go home."

"I want him to go home!" Maddie whined.

"Well, we're not voting for Corncob- I mean Cole!" Zaheen shook her head. "We're voting for Olivia!"

She practically shrieked this last sentence, and three heads turned to face her.

"...Or we could vote for you," Zaheen put on her composer face and stared Maddie down. "I'm sure Cole and Olivia would agree to do so. I'm offering this alliance out of protection."

"Well, I'm in," Diego grinned. " _El Zorro_ never misses an opportunity to make a splash."

"I'm beginning to question your knowledge of _El Zorro."_ Harald pointed out.

They turned to Maddie.

"...Finesies," Maddie huffed. "Corncob goes next."

"That can be arranged," Zaheen smirked. "I intend on losing both very soon."

"Let's head back, then! We shan't dally nor dawdle!" Harald grinned.

* * *

Confessional: Harald and Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Obviously I plan on taking out Cole after Olivia," Zaheen says. "Because the longer I keep Diego and Maddie around each other, the more annoyed they'll get around each other, and the smaller the target will be on myself or my ally."

"Then we can drop one of them, and the other will be infinitely loyal!" Harald agrees. "It's an evil plan worthy of the master manipulators of the show. Like Max. And Sugar."

Zaheen rolls her eyes once again. She breathes deeply.

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

"Man, I can't believe Maggie just… stormed off like that," Alexei fretted. They had returned to camp and working on the shelter.

"Seven feet by ten? It'll be a tight squeeze," Logan chuckled, not paying attention. "But it should work."

"Maggie and I are small. I bet we can shrink it a bit," Chloe suggested.

"Nah, I want my space," Koh leaned down to arrange the sticks in a border. "You think this will hold?"

"They're long sticks," Logan replied. "It'll be a little unstable, but we can work on it after the challenge."

"Guys?" Alexei looked around. "Maggie just stormed off. You're not concerned at all?"

"What about the roof?" Chloe asked. "How are we going to do that?"

"I think we'll prop a stick between those two trees," Logan pointed, "And stack fronds on an angle over it."

"Works for me," Koh grunted.

"Guys!" Alexei shouted. Everyone turned to him. "Shouldn't we go talk to Maggie?"

"She'll come back," Logan shrugged. "I'm more concerned about Joshua, actually. Besides, if we lose, we'll just vote her out."

"What? But-" Alexei started to say.

"I like that idea," Koh snickered. "I'd vote for her."

"I'd entertain it," Chloe agreed.

"Are you serious? Maggie's a genius! She totally helps in challenges!" Alexei protested.

Koh turned to him. "Look, kid. Maggie might be smart, but if she's not willing to cooperate with us, what's the point of keeping her around?"

"That's rich coming from you," Alexei muttered.

"What was that? You wanna go, kid?" Koh brandished her knife in an instant. Logan jerked her back.

"Stay on task. Kill each other later," Logan instructed. Koh sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Alexei and Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"Why does everyone hate Maggie all of a sudden?" Alexei wonders worriedly. "She's really a good person!"

"She's constantly belittled me," Chloe reminds him. "And she seems pretty possessive, if you ask me."

"Well, everyone has their faults," Alexei argues.

"And who would you rather vote out?" Chloe challenges.

Alexei frowns. "...I'm not sure."

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"Man. I'm glad we already have this wood," Ambrose wiped the sweat off his forehead. "It makes things easier."

"Definitely!" Eloa agreed. They were looking at their mostly-completed shelter. It looked like an oversized table made out of plywood. A single wall stood at the back.

"Is it stable?" Ambrose gently knocked on one of the 'legs' of the shelter. "Hm. Might need some reinforcement."

He looked around. They were out of wood.

"Oh," he frowned. "I wonder if…"

He shook his head and turned to Eloa. "Any ideas?"

Eloa thought. "Um… it needs to be stable. Stable. Horse. Hay. Haywire. Crazy. Eights. Eight legs. Spiders have eight legs. Crabs are water spiders. Crabs are on beaches. Beaches… have sand! Why don't we use sand?"

"Sand?" Ambrose repeated.

"Yeah! We can grab any extra clothes- like hoodies and stuff- and make giant sandbags out of them!" Eloa realized. "I'd volunteer my clothes, but," she looked down at her attire. "I don't really have any to spare."

"That's a great idea!" Ambrose agreed. He started to shed his flannel hoodie. "No judging."

"What could I have to judge?" Eloa wondered.

Ambrose shed his hoodie. Underneath he wore a bright pink tank top which was a few sizes too small, showing of his muscular abdomen.

As Eloa stifled a laugh, Ambrose chuckled. "My sister thought it would be funny to switch our clothes last-minute. Believe it or not, this is the least girly thing that she owns."

"You look very pretty," Eloa laughed.

"Thanks. I feel fabulous," Ambrose droned in monotone.

Eloa chuckled again. Then she looked around. "Hey, I had an idea."

Ambrose raised an eyebrow.

"We should form an alliance," Eloa suggested.

Ambrose's grin instantly disappeared. "No."

"No?" Eloa asked.

"No," Ambrose agreed. "I work alone, okay? I don't need an alliance right now. Or ever. You got it?" He snapped.

Eloa was surprised at this attitude change. "...Okay. Sorry."

"Let's just keep working," Ambrose sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose and Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I think we're well in the challenge," Ambrose says. "And at the end of the day, that's what matters, right?"

Eloa glances wistfully at him. "Yeah, that's all that matters."

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"It's time to make fire!" Maddie grinned as she and Diego stood at the fire pit. "I've been waiting for this moment since the day that I was born!"

"You were literally given this task an hour ago," Diego griped. "How, then, could-"

"Don't question me, Drogo!" Maddie commanded. She knelt down. "Should I use matches? A blowtorch? A flamethrower?"

"Where would you even keep a flamethrower?" Diego wondered.

"I have my ways," Maddie replied spookily. "So first we- no! No no! No no no no no!" She started to pound the ground.

"What are you doing?" Diego asked. Maddie stood, meaning he stood as well. She started to run, awkwardly pulling Diego behind her.

"Wet wood!" Maddie complained. "What kind of idiot uses wet wood!"

"...What?" Diego questioned.

"Broke branches off treeeeeeees!" Maddie wailed. "They'll never burn!"

"Ah!" Diego realized. "I never even thought of that!"

"This way! I saw a dead tree! Dry wood!" Maddie ran even faster.

Just as suddenly she stopped, causing Diego to nearly fall on top of her.

"What now?" Diego groaned.

Maddie pointed at Cole and Olivia, who were a ways away. They were holding hands. "No! She's mine! She's mine!"

She started to pull Diego toward them.

"You're pretty good at throwing your weight around," Diego said as he ran alongside her.

"Stop! Stop!" Maddie screamed. Cole looked up and tapped Olivia on the shoulder. The silent girl looked up. "No dating! She's mine!"

Cole took a while to respond. "Dating? What are you talking about?"

"Holding handses!" Maddie pointed.

"That's completely platonic!" Cole protested. "I think we should normalize friends holding-"

But Maddie wasn't listening. "You'll pay!" She raised a fist.

"Maddie! Stop!" Diego jerked her back, which caused Maddie to punch him in the face instead of Cole.

"Ow!" he doubled over. "You idiot! You collossal {CENSORED} idiot!" He was speaking without his accent. "What could possibly compel you to- Ow!"

He looked up at Cole and Olivia. He regained his accent, and said, "My friends, if you owe me anything at all, please vote this _diablo_ out!"

Cole translated this for Olivia. She nodded.

"Sounds good," Cole agreed. "I mean, I don't think I owe you anything, but I was already planning on voting for her, so this doesn't change that."

"Thank you," Diego nodded. He turned to Maddie. "If you don't want to go home tonight, I highly suggest that you find the dead tree you were talking about."

Maddie just glared at Cole. "This isn't the end, Corncob!"

* * *

Confessional: Diego and Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I know not what I did do deserve Maddie, but I won't cooperate much longer! She is a villain and must be taken care of as such!" Diego declares. "Such is the _El Zorro_ way!" He feels his nose. "I'm bleeding, aren't I."

"I regret nothiiiiiiiiiiing!" Maddie shouts, slowly fading he last word into silence.

"I regret joining," Diego grabs the roll of toilet paper on the wall and wipes his nose with a few squares.

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

"We have found food!" Joshua declared as he and Maggie arrived. Both had their arms full of fruit.

"Indeed," Maggie agreed. She stared at Chloe, who stared right back.

"Would you look at that," Logan punctuated the silence. "We're a few fronds short. Why don't you two get some?" He asked Alexei and Chloe.

"But-" Alexei glanced at Maggie.

"Yes, let's," Chloe agreed. They trundled off.

After they left, Maggie and Joshua placed their fruits on the ground and began to arrange them.

"God, she's insufferable," Maggie sighed.

"Yeah!" Joshua said halfheartedly.

"Don't you start," Maggie warned. "Especially if it turns into another rant about how Gunther Goat Cheese won't be in _Cheese Brawlers III_."

"It's an outrage! He's the most versatile defensive character!" Joshua complained. "They should've just toned down his absorption shield, but _no_ , they just had to drop him. And yet they keep unpopular weak characters in like Chazz Cheddar and Monterey Jackson!"

"This is a scintillating conversation," Logan said before Joshua could say anything else. "However, I think we should focus on the task at hand."

"Building the shelter?" Joshua asked. "I think we're nearly done. And just like I predicted, we'll win!"

"We have to build the fire, you dolt," Maggie reprimanded him. "But with the matches it won't take long."

"Ah, but I was talking more metaphorically," Logan smirked. "Should we lose- and Joshua, I know you don't think we will, but some of our teammates are weaker than you- I feel as though we should vote out Chloe."

"Good. Let's do it," Maggie agreed.

"Hold on! Why her, and not Koh?" Joshua asked.

"I'm right here," Koh raised her hand.

"Koh, aside from you, is our strongest teammate physically. We might need her," Logan said.

"Gee, I feel so heartwarmed," Koh sighed. "But weren't you just saying how you wanted-"

"A matter for a different conversation," Logan quickly said.

"I'll vote for Chloe," Joshua shrugged.

"I'll be glad to get her out of here," Maggie agreed. "Now who can make fire?"

* * *

Confessional: Logan and Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"Not that you helped matters, nearly spoiling the whole thing, but I'm trying to play both sides," Logan explains.

Koh joss in understanding. "Split the vote, and you can control who stays and who goes."

" _We_ control it," Logan corrects her. "You're in on this too, now."

"Unless I throw you under the bus," Koh reasons.

"Which you won't, because even with their rivalry, I'm sure every single teammate would vote for you if I turned them against you, right?" Logan replied smugly.

"You might be the most obnoxious person I've met," Koh grumbled.

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"Collecting food is more difficult than I thought it would be!" Robin said. He had only a few fruits and berries in his hands.

"To be fair, you refuse to touch the coconuts," Pearl replied.

"They're not in season," Robin argued. "If I'm collecting food, I'm collecting _good_ food."

"We're on an island!" Pearl protested.

"You're one to talk. You refuse to touch anything," Robin snapped.

"We're on an island!" Pearl repeated. "Everything here is dirty or unsanitary."

Robin huffed. "Keep it up, and you'll be the first one voted out!"

"Fat chance, when you're on the team," Pearl rolled her eyes.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Robin leered.

"Your so-called 'leadership' is just you bossing everyone around! I'm already sick of it, and I'm a patient person. I can't imagine what the others are going through," Pearl said.

"My leadership is useful and essential to the team," Robin argued. "Every sports team has a captain."

"Give one example of how you've aided the team thus far," Pearl requested.

Robin frowned. "...I delegated leadership to Ambrose, so his win is my win!"

"So nothing," Pearl smiled. "You're just a pest to everyone here."

"And you decline to compete in challenges! I'd rather have someone who's trying and failing than someone who's not trying at all."

"Not when the person trying is a supreme annoyance," Pearl said.

As they argued, they walked right past a tree stocked full of fruit.

* * *

Confessional: Robin and Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"This was undoubtedly one of the worst experiences of my life," Pearl groans.

"Pfft," Robin waves his hand and chuckled. "This was a walk in the park compared to what I have to face."

"Well… you're a nuisance!" Pearl snaps.

"Takes one to know one!" Robin growls back.

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"What a sore-looking bunch," Harald commented snidely as Cole, Olivia, Diego, and Maddie returned back into the clearing.

"Good on you for collecting food," Zaheen told Cole. "Put it there," she pointed to a spot. "Diego, Maddie, start the fire."

Maddie grinned. "Did somebody say-"

"YES!" Everyone (barring Olivia) shouted.

"Once you've finished your task, come help us with the shelter," Zaheen instructed.

"We'll win this on no time!" Harald agreed. "And even if we don't, at least we'll be voting for someone who serves the team no purpose!"

"Hear, hear," Diego grumbled as Maddie pulled out her lighter.

"The shelter looks nifty, man," Cole complimented.

"Thank you!" Harald smiled. "It was all thanks to me. Oh, and my minion- _ally!_ Zaheen," he quickly regained his composure.

Zaheen attempted to grin. It didn't come easily.

"I have made FIRE!" Maddie declared, startling everyone. Indeed, a small blaze burned.

"Keep adding wood to it," Zaheen said. "Lest it burns out."

"Lest? What a fun word! Handful, lest!" Maddie cackled. "Handful, lest, handful, lest!"

"My partner is borderline insane," Diego groaned.

"That's why I'm voting for her," Cole said.

" _Me too,"_ Olivia signed. Cole translated.

"Let's not go so far!" Harald gasped. "She might be insane, but then, so was… The Joker!"

"That's not a good comparison," Zaheen glances at Maddie, who was rocking back and forth.

* * *

Confessional: Harald and Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm quickly growing weary of this team. With Maddie and Cole around, it's like I'm a babysitter," Zaheen gripes.

"Worry not. Soon they will be gone, dear," Harald assures her.

"I relish the moment which I may make them disappear as easily as a deck of cards," Zaheen agrees. She then frowns. " _Dear?"_

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas**_

"That looks about complete," Logan stepped back from the shelter. "So we've got the shelter, the food… now we just need the fire!"

"About that," Joshua chuckled. "So, um, I may have accidentally set fire to the matchbox."

Logan frowned as Joshua held up the matchbox, which was indeed ablaze.

"Well, put it in the fire pit!" Logan commanded.

"Good idea!" The Swede said just as the fire reached his hand. Joshua yelped dropped the box on the sand, where it was extinguished.

Alexei surveyed the remains. "Are there any left in there?"

"Oh, I was smart enough to take the matches out," Joshua bragged.

From his side, Maggie said to him, "Tell him what you did next."

"...I set those on fire, too," Joshua said sheepishly.

"Are you _trying_ to sabotage the team?" Koh angrily asked.

"We can't rule it out. Infinite possibilities and all," Chloe reasoned.

"I don't want us to lose!" Joshua protested.

"None of us do," Logan agreed. "So if anyone knows how to start a fire, now would be a _great_ time to step up."

Silence. Then,

"I might," Alexei timidly raised his hand. "I've only done it, like, twice, so it might take a while."

"Better than nothing. What do you need?" Logan asked.

Alexei inhaled and exhaled. He turned to Koh. "I need your knife."

He quickly ducked back if expecting some bug reaction.

"Sure, dude," Koh tossed him the knife. Alexei quickly jumped out of the way before picking it up of the ground.

"Two sticks," he muttered. He grabbed two of similar size. "And now…"

He started to cut a notch into one of them. "...We hope this works."

* * *

Confessional: Alexei and Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"So it's all up to me, and my plan is to rub two sticks together," Alexei breathes quickly. "I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous? Just because I could be voted out if I lose doesn't mean I'm nervous."

Chloe glances at him. "You sure look nervous."

"Well, can you blame me?" Alexei shouts. "I'm not good under pressure!" He starts hyperventilating.

Chloe glances at him. "Um… There, there?"

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps**_

"Let's review," Marisa told Giuseppe as they tended the fire.

Giuseppe nodded. He startled to rattle off words. "Yes. No. Me. You. We. Them. Walk. Run," as he said these, he showed her an action related to the word. "Challenge. Vote. Ally. Alliance. Win… Lass?" He questioned on the last one.

"Lose," Marisa gently corrected.

"Lose!" Giuseppe smacked his forehead. Then he asked her a serious question. "We… lose… challenge… we… vote?"

"Who do we vote for if we lose?" Marisa asked herself. "Oh, I never even thought of that. What do you think?"

Giuseppe cocked his head.

Marisa made a show of shrugging. "I don't know. You?"

Giuseppe thought. "Robin." He mimed puffing up his chest and saluting.

"Got it," Marisa laughed. "We vote Robin."

Giuseppe grinned. "We alliance?"

Marisa nodded. "Yes, we alliance."

A few meters away, Ambrose and Eloa, who were stabilizing the shelter with their makeshift sandbags, listened to this conversation.

"Looks like they want to vote for Robin," Eloa pointed out the obvious. "Should we join them?"

Ambrose sighed. "I don't know… honestly, I'd prefer it if Pearl went home."

"Why her?" Eloa asked.

"It's clear that she's a strategist," Ambrose said. "I don't want her ruining any of my own strategy."

"Well, let's vote for Pearl!" Eloa declared.

"I said I'm not doing an alliance," Ambrose stated flatly.

"This isn't an alliance," Eloa shook her head. "I just happen to want to vote the same way as you."

"Hm," Ambrose said, but he let it slide. "Where are they, anyway? Once they bring back food we'll be done."

"I don't know," Eloa shrugged. "Hopefully we don't lose because of them."

"Hopefully," Ambrose agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose and Eloa

"I'll be clear in saying that this is not an alliance. I work alone," Ambrose says. "No exceptions."

"Yep. Definitely not an alliance," Eloa agrees with a wink at the camera.

Ambrose doesn't pick up on this and just shrugs. "But if we both want to take out Pearl, why not vote together?"

* * *

"Man, a spa day was just what the doctor ordered," Chris grinned to himself as he returned to the dock. There, the interns waited for him.

"Everyone has finished," Rachel reported.

"Have they?" Chris asked rhetorically. "All right. I'll inform the teams personally."

"To make up for the fact that you did nothing aside from introducing everyone?" Caleb asked.

"I don't like your lip," Chris said.

"Well, that's a darn shame, isn't it," Caleb shrugged.

"Hey, can we hurry this along? I have a video chat with my dog in under two hours," Frederick checked his watch.

They all turned to stare at him.

"...What?" Frederick glanced up. "Is it my hair? Oh god, it's my hair, isn't it?"

He tried to cover his head.

"I think I'll go inform the teams of who won," Chris said. "Caleb, you're on for the ceremony."

"Thrills," Caleb rolled his eyes.

The interns left.

* * *

Confessional: Frederick

"It's not that weird, all right? I miss my dog. Her name's Truffles. She's a yorkipoo."

* * *

Chris walked down a path and saw one team's camp. "Aha! Here we are! Gather round everyone!"

The people at camp joined him.

"Did we win?" Someone asked.

Chris grinned. "Yes you did…"

...

...

...

...

...

"...Terrible Tarantulas!"

They cheered. Joshua pumped his fist while Chloe hugged Alexei. Logan and Koh high-fived and the beginning of a smile played across Maggie's face.

"You can untie those scarves and Rest easy, knowing that you've won immunity _and_ an advantage in the next challenge," Chris said. "I'll see you at that challenge. Bye."

Once he left, they relaxed.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua and Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"Looks like we won, just like I said we would! I give myself the credit," Joshua bragged.

Maggie shook her head. "I give all of us the credit. I admit, I wasn't expecting a win to feel so… good."

"You'll be feeling good a lot more in the future with me on your team!" Joshua said happily.

"Doubtful," Maggie droned.

* * *

Chris approached the second team's camp. "Attention, everyone! Come on over!"

They did so.

"We won, right?" A voice was heard.

"Unfortunately, no. But you did get second…"

...

...

...

...

...

"...Wicked Wasps," Chris said.

"I'll take it," Ambrose said. Eloa cheered. Once Marisa had relayed the information, she and Giuseppe smiled Robin and Pearl just glanced at each other, but their gazed weren't so venomous.

"You can untie your scarves," Chris said, and the first to do so were Robin and Pearl. "And I'll see you at the next challenge."

He departed.

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe and Marisa- Wicked Wasps

Marisa says, "I'm glad we got second, at least. I can't help but wonder if I didn't help Giuseppe here learn English, we might have saved time and placed higher, but hey, we didn't lose."

"We win!" Giuseppe cheers. "We win challenge!"

Marisa smiles.

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies**_

"So we lost?" Zaheen asked.

"Yeah, you did," Chris agreed. "You were about half an hour behind the other teams, in fact."

Harald snapped his fingers. "Blast."

"So I'll see you at Verloor Island in about half an hour," Chris said. "There, one of you will be the first one eliminated from the game."

He left.

"I hope it's Corncob!" Maddie shouted.

Cole sighed. "See, this is why the three of us are voting for you."

"The three of you?" Zaheen asked skeptically.

"Well, yeah," Cole said as Diego cringed. "Me, Olivia, and Diego. Funny how we all have the letter o in our name, huh?"

Zaheen shot a withering glare at Diego as Harald started to mentally spell their names. "I see."

"Wait, who are you voting for?" Cole wondered.

"That information is mine and mine alone," Zaheen snapped. "Harald?"

"They really do have the letter o!" Harald realized.

Zaheen ignored this. "You know what to do."

Harald blinked. "Oh! Right! Diego, can we speak?"

Diego nodded warily. "All right."

The two boys left.

"I'll leave you three to work things out," Zaheen said. "I look forward to seeing the result of tonight's ceremony."

She left in a different direction.

Cole and Olivia stared at each other, then at Maddie.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Corncob is going down if he thinks he can steal my Olivia away from me! I don't care if I have to set him on fire, I _will_ win her heart!"

* * *

"What do you want?" Diego asked. " _El Zorro_ doesn't normally do these kinds of things."

"Once again, I see reason to question your familiarity with _El Zorro_ ," Harald said. "Nevertheless! The word on the street is that you'll be voting for Maddie!"

"I thought that was made clear when Cole said I was voting for Maddie, yes," Diego said.

"Was this a ruse, or the truth?" Harald questioned.

"The truth," Diego sighed. "Look, man. I have nothing against you personally, but that girl is a menace. If she stays, we'll be in danger. If she goes, well, I'm in a position of power."

"Maybe for now, but there will inevitably be a swapping of teams. There, being a swing vote will do you no good!" Harald declared.

"I'm not keeping Maddie around," Diego said. He began to walk away.

"Hear me out!" Harald stopped him. "Stay with us and vote for Olivia. Then, Maddie leaves next and you, Zaheen, and myself will be in an alliance of three. Isn't that much better than working alone?"

Diego looked unsure. "All right. I've heard you out. You've given me something to think about. You'll know of my decision when the votes are read."

Then, he left.

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I was not lying when I said this was something to think about. Maddie may be the most annoying human I've met, but do I pass up a stable alliance? Though I must consider how cunning Zaheen and Harald appear to be. Can I trust them to keep their word? I'll have to think about this further."

* * *

 _ **Verloor Island- Dastardly Dragonflies**_

Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Olivia, and Zaheen entered the scene.

"Welcome, Dragonflies!" Chris grinned. "To the Verloor Island Conclave!"

They looked around. The team was in a squarish hut made of wood and straw. The walls were sparsely decorated with multicoloured tapestries. In the center, below a hole in the roof, a fire burned in a stone pit. Surrounding this pit was a long wooden bench, which the team proceeded to sit on.

Chris, meanwhile, stood at a podium opposite the entrance. Behind him there was another entrance for him. To his left, a path led to a table, which had six slips of parchment and a permanent marker. To his right, there was a torchlit path decorated with imposing masks, presumably where an eliminated contestant would go should they be eliminated.

"You'll be seeing this place a lot," Chris said. "Well, except for one of you." He grinned evilly.

He stepped away from the podium and sat on a chair opposite the team's bench. "Now, I think you'll know what to do, but I don't want to overestimate any of your intelligence, so I'll explain."

He mimed writing something down. "When I give you the word, you'll write the name of the person you want to vote for on a paper over there," he pointed to his left. "Then I'll tally the votes. Unlike other seasons, I'll then tell you who's safe and who has the most votes. That person will be eliminated, unless…" He paused.

"Unless what?" Zaheen asked.

"Never mind. I'll tell you soon," Chris said. "Before I do that, however, I'm going to ask you some questions. Lengthen our the process, you know. So!" He stood back up and returned to the podium.

"My first question is for Diego. It hasn't been a long journey yet- heck, it's still the first day- so do you believe there was enough time to strategize before your team's elimination?"

Diego thought about this. "I want to say yes. There have been a few conversations held in private if I'm correct."

Chris nodded. "Have you been _in_ those private conversations?"

"Some," Diego shrugged nonchalantly.

"Hm. My next question is for Cole," Chris continued. "At this stage of the game, what do you think is more important: friendships or alliances?"

Cole also took some time to respond. "Man, I dunno. Like, friends are cool because you think they won't vote you out. But then, alliances for sure won't vote you out, unless someone doesn't trust someone else. So they're both important. Not sure which is more."

Chris seemed satisfied with this answer. "Now, Zaheen. Coming out of the gate, were there some clear targets in mind?"

"Yes," Zaheen said bluntly, betraying no emotion.

"...And who are they?" Chris annoyedly prompted.

Zaheen smirked. "I've heard a few names come up. Maddie is one. Olivia is another. Cole a third."

Cole frowned. He elbowed Olivia and quickly signed something. Due to the angle of the camera, it could not be seen, but Olivia's eyes grew concerned.

"You're not?" Chris asked.

Zaheen shook her head. She pulled out a deck of cards and began to shuffle through them. "I'll be shocked if I go home tonight."

Chris nodded. "Harald, Diego, do you concur with Zaheen?"

Diego nodded. Harald said, "Yes, I do! Anyone would be a fool to vote for me, Harald Skeithwick, acrobat extraordinaire!"

"Do you say that little bit every time you say 'me' in conversation?" Chris asked.

Harald nodded. "Indeed I do. The title comes with privileges. Power, women, wealth…" he sighed.

"Sure, bucko," Chris rolled his eyes. "Can someone translate for Olivia?"

"Yeah," Cole said. "I mean, I don't know why, since she's speaking English, but apparently everyone wants her translated. So yeah."

Chris shook his head in exasperation. "Just ask her this: You were just mentioned as one of the targets tonight. Do you believe that you're going home?"

Cole and Olivia quickly signed back and forth to each other.

"She says no," Cole related.

"Confident," Chris smirked. "Finally, my last question is for Maddie."

Maddie bounced up on the bench. "Christiano! I have a question! Where do babies come from?"

Chris frowned. "Um… I'm asking the questions here."

"Is it Wisconsin? I have this crazy-lazy feeling that is Wisconsin," Maddie muttered. "Something's trippippy in Wisconsin."

"I honestly don't know how to respond to that," Chris commented. "So… question period is over."

He pointed to the table which held the pieces of parchment. "Now, it's time to cast the votes. Go over there, write a name down, and, if you want, say something brief. There's microphones to pick it up, so don't worry about being loud. We'll go in alphabetical order, so Cole is up first."

Cole stood and walked over to the table.

* * *

Voting: Cole

"I'm casting my vote for, um, Maddie. She's crazy. Really messes up the whole team dynamic, or something like that."

* * *

Voting: Diego

"Man, I have no clue who to vote for…" Diego scratches the back of his neck. "I was hoping this decision would be easier. I have a 50/50 shot of getting this right, so here's hoping."

* * *

Voting: Harald

"I shall not deviate from the oh so brilliant plan which I devised!" Harald declares. "Therefore, I shall cast my vote for Olivia!"

* * *

Voting: Maddie

"Corncob! Corncob! Corncob must go dowwwwwwn!" Maddie shouts, scribbling on her paper.

* * *

Voting: Olivia

She says nothing, silently writing down a name on her parchment.

* * *

Voting: Zaheen

"I've cast my vote. Possibly for who the others expect, possibly not. The suspense, it's what makes both magic and Total Drama so exciting," she plays with a deck of cards.

* * *

Zaheen returned.

"All right. I'll tally the votes and get back to you," Chris winked. He went over to the table and began to count the number of votes. "Huh... interesting..."

He came back. "All right. The votes have been tallied. This season, in keeping with the 'survival' theme, you get nothing when you're declared safe except the satisfaction of knowing you're not going home."

"Rough," Cole said idly.

"Yep," Chris agreed. "Now, with no votes against, the following people are safe."

"Harald."

"Diego."

"Zaheen."

The three of them each looked satisfied. Zaheen peered at the other three.

"With only a single vote against..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Cole is also safe."

Cole sighed with relief but gripped Olivia's hand. Maddie, on the other hand, looked offended.

"None of you voted for Corncob! Meanies," She stuck her tongue out.

Olivia's brow furrowed.

"Maddie, Olivia, one of you is going home. And with two votes against, that person is not..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Maddie!" Chris declared.

"Ha!" Maddie pumped her fist.

Chris turned to Olivia. "You know what that means. You are the first person voted out of Total Drama: The K'wala Islands."

Olivia looked downright shocked. She slowly stood.

Harald bumped Diego's arm. When the vigilante looked at him, Harald mouthed _Good choice._

Diego just sighed.

"If you want to say any last words," Chris began to say. Then he stopped. "Er, I guess you can't."

Olivia turned around to face Cole. Finally, she mustered a shrug and a smile. " _You'd better win,"_ she signed to Cole.

Cole looked even more shocked than she had. However, he signed back, " _Don't worry. I'll see you at the finale._ "

Olivia silently chuckled.

"Olivia, you've finished the game in eighteenth place," Chris stated.

Olivia signed, " _I can't hear you."_ Then she sadly walked down the torchlit path, exiting the hut.

Chris turned to the five remaining members of the Dastardly Dragonflies. "Well, Olivia didn't think she'd go home, and look what happened. Let this serve as a warning to all of you: You can never be truly confident in this game. I'll see you at the next challenge. Goodnight."

He walked out of the hut.

Slowly, the teammates began to rise. They silently left the elimination hut as well.

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"So Diego _did_ end up voting with Harald and I. Wonderful. We've gained the majority in a single night," she smirks. Slowly, she takes off her hat and began to spin it. "This is just the beginning."

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm mad. Like, really mad. Diego has a lot of nerve, asking me to vote out Maddie and then not following through. You'd better believe I'm coming for him. I think Diego has just become my third enemy."

* * *

Chris stood outside the host's entrance to the hut. On the outside wall, there were eighteen picture frames, nine on each side of the entrance. The host replaced the one in the top-left corner with a picture of Olivia. Underneath it read _Olivia- 18th._

"We've barely begun the game, and yet one poor contestant has already bitten the dust," Chris said.

He walked forward. "Will Cole get his revenge on Diego? Will Logan's risky strategy pay off? And will Robin and Pearl kill each other before the season ends?" He chuckled. "My money's on the third one, but you'll find out soon on…"

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!" He finally stated.

A moment later, the interns walked on camera.

"Were you guys watching the ceremony?" Chris asked them.

"That we were," Caleb agreed dryly.

'Good," Chris nodded. "Because my contract states that I only have to do one of those per season now. So congrats! You have a new responsibility."

He walked off, leaving the interns to look incredulously at each other.

* * *

Final Confessional: Olivia- 18th Place

" _I'm obviously disappointed in my placement,"_ Olivia signs. " _I came here to prove that my disabilities don't make me a weaker competitor, but look where I ended up. Dead last. At least I made a friend in Cole. Hopefully he can pull through for me. I wouldn't be surprised."_

* * *

 _The Votes:_

 _Cole voted for… Maddie_

 _Diego voted for… Olivia_

 _Harald voted for… Olivia_

 _Maddie voted for… Cole_

 _Olivia voted for… Maddie_

 _Zaheen voted for… Olivia_

 _Final Tally: 3 votes for Olivia, 2 votes for Maddie, 1 vote for Cole._

* * *

 **So there you have it! The first two chapters are complete, and we say goodbye to my own OC Olivia. Did you like the chapters? Which characters are your favourites? Who do think will win?**

 **Thoughts on eliminated character: I don't think many of you expected Olivia to go home here. That was my intention, of course- I wanted a decoy protagonist that had the potential to go far but just couldn't pull the rabbit out of the hat, so to speak. I knew that I wanted one of my own OCs to go home first so that nobody would be disappointed with their character being the first boot, and of all my choices, Olivia fit the best. So that's her. Hooray.**

 **Of note is the fact that I was originally planning on having a double elimination next chapter and having this be a reward challenge, but plans change. Honestly, I think I would have had difficulty filling in the extra time taken up by the elimination ceremony had this merely been for reward.**

 **Expect updates approximately every three weeks. Sometimes it'll be two, sometimes four, but I'll try for three.**

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_

 _All right. The moment you've all been waiting for. Pick one person from each team who you think will be eliminated should their team lose. I'll post your responses at the top of the next chapter and if you got it right or not (and your points total) at the bottom._

 _ **The Teams:**_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:**_ _Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Zaheen_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:**_ _Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:**_ _Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

* * *

 _ **Eliminated Contestants:**_

 _ **18th- Olivia: The Silent Doll**_

 **Takk skal du ha!**


	4. Ep3: The Protagonist is an Idiot

**Wow, a week and a bit behind schedule. That's not super fun. Hopefully you guys are still interested in this!**

 **Side note, there's no way I'm keeping this at 10000 words per chapter (especially this one, which ran, oh, 6000 words over). As such, a Curse remake is a possibility (I don't know for sure, but I have some good ideas churning in my head).**

 **Side note to the side note, my computer's shot for the next while so I'm writing almost everything on google docs on my phone. You can imagine how well that's working out. So anyway, there may be some more delays.**

 **Now that the new Survivor season is out (it's insanely good so far. Would recommend), I want to say no spoilers will be tolerated in the reviews (but PM me for some hard-core Survivor discourse). General comments and opinions, however, are welcome! For anyone wondering, Christian's my favourite (obvious reasons).**

 **And to address your reviews:**

 **GirlPower54:** Thank you for the kind words and the elimination prediction! We'll see if you're right soon enough…

 **AZW330:** Thanks for the praise! And as for Maggie… well, I can't reveal anything but you'll know soon enough!

 **Zevoros:** I appreciate the well-thought out predictions! And yeah, I've made the mistake of using some unfamiliar characters (I keep trying to make the heart with the less than sign and the three) in reviews too. Doesn't turn out well.

 **Mistress Mysterious:** Not much to say except thanks!

 **Taylorfang9:** Thanks for the predictions. As for Joshua, you need to understand that I gave him a flaw for his own good. A perfect character whose only negative character trait being communication issues would, in my opinion, be boring to write and read about, and would doom him to being an early boot. And you may be overreacting slightly about the colour of his jacket and whether it's zipped or unzipped. Nevertheless, hopefully this doesn't deter from your enjoyment of the story.

 **Aleister Bloodrive VII:** Thanks for your criticism! I don't normally take criticism well, but I'm fine with it if it helps me improve the story. It's definitely been taken into account, and I'll try to tone down both of your characters in future chapters. I'm glad you've been paying well enough attention to the story to notice.

 **DinoKea:** To address your comments: 1- From what I've gleaned from the reviews, I think most people agree that Chloe's leaving soon. I think she's one of the more polarizing characters this season. 2- I think that came from Diego being reasonably certain how everyone was going to vote (Cole and Olivia telling him Maddie, Harald (and Zaheen by extension) telling him Olivia, and Maddie telling him Cole. Though it might have made him seem a tad omniscient. 3- Yes, that was the plan. This is a rewrite to a grand extent, and many such divergences will occur along the way. 4- It's just one point per correct guess, although more opportunities for points may come later. I never even thought of doing it your way, but that's not a bad idea. And as always I enjoy your predictions!

 **Cndl Mnsn:** Thanks for your predictions! And considering that I was completely off last time on your favourite, I'll have to be careful in my thinking this time. But I will figure it out!

 **JackHammerMan:** I'm glad I surprised you! As I mentioned in the author's note after the chapter, I really wanted to set up Olivia like she was going far and then drop her early on, just to set that 'you really never know' tone. Interesting thoughts on Giuseppe… and thanks for the predictions!

 **Apenad4LIFE:** (I'll address both reviews here.) Thanks for the praise! I appreciate it, and not only because I'm a sucker for compliments. That's a major reason though. I'm glad you like my interpretation of Ambrose, too! We'll soon see how he fares. I'm happy you didn't expect Olivia, as, well, that's what I wanted. You'll see a whole lot of personalities clash, and not just the villains. And lastly, thanks for the predictions!

 **Obikinoah:** Thanks bro! I'm glad you like Cole and by the time you read this, I'll have updated Eloa's appearance.

 **Beastboycoolman15:** I'm glad you're still here despite not having an OC in. It makes me happy. Thanks for your predictions!

 **cB7U5:** Thank you for the heartfelt review. It nearly made me tear up.

 **Omakin: I** admire your thoughts and predictions! I'm not going to rely so heavily on Marisa doing everything in order to follow up the winners. It is the basis for a few of her plots, so you'll see it early on, but it's going to become less relevant as time goes on. THAT IS IF SHE MAKES IT THAT FAR MWAHAHAHA! Also, Genki (mentioned in her label) is a Japanese word, so I kind of extrapolated from there. And you're Brazilian? The pressure's really on to portray Eloa well now. If I need help I might have to PM you :)

 **MaxGentleman1:** We already got into Diego via PMs, so I won't mention that. Now that I know that Zorro's been in public domain, I might have a character bring it up at some point, but probably not in the immediate future.

 **ShadowJCreed:** Thanks for your review! Your predictions are appreciated and In glad I'm portraying Caleb well.

* * *

 ** _Thor's Prediction Palooza!_**

 _Your predictions have been viewed and put below._

 _ **GirlPower54:** Harald, Maggie, Giuseppe_

 _ **AZW330:** Diego, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Zevoros:** Zaheen, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Mistress Mysterious:** Zaheen, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Taylorfang9:** Harald, Chloe (No Wicked Wasps Prediction)_

 _ **Aleister Bloodrive VII:** Diego, Joshua, Giuseppe_

 _ **DinoKea:** Cole, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Candela Monsoon:** Diego, Alexei, Pearl_

 _ **JackHammerMan:** Harald, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Apenad4LIFE:** Maddie, Joshua, Robin_

 _ **Beastboycoolman15:** Maddie, Maggie, Robin_

 _ **Obikinoah:** Chloe, Diego, Marisa_

 _ **Omakin:** Maddie, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **ShadowJCreed:** Maddie, Koh, Robin (You can only select one so I flipped a coin for you)_

 _The Standings (This may be the only time you're in first, so enjoy it):_

 _ **1st- GirlPower54:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- AZW330:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Zevoros:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Mistress Mysterious:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Taylorfang9:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Aleister Bloodrive VII:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- DinoKea:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Candela Monsoon:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- JackHammerMan:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Apenad4LIFE:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Beastboycoolman15:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Obikinoah:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- Omakin:** 0 points_

 _ **1st- ShadowJCreed:** 0 points_

 _The Teams:_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:** Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Zaheen_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:** Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:** Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

 _ **Eliminated:** Olivia_

* * *

 **Let's do this thing!**

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama: The K'wala Islands," Chris said. "We kicked off a brand spanking new season of your favourite TV show. This time, we took things down under to a small Archipelago in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand.

"First, we met eighteen diverse contestants with a large collection of personalities and skills. Some are strong physically. Some are strong mentally. Some are strong socially. But a lot of them aren't strong in any category," Chris chuckled. "After meeting everyone, we sorted them into teams of six. Then, I told them that they'd be competing in a challenge right away. Did I mention I had them tied together?" He laughs.

"Anyway, I had my recently hired and soon to be recently fired interns take them to their camps, where they revealed that the challenge would be to set up their team's campsite! Can you say, plot twist?" Chris laughed again. "They attempted to work together, although it was clear that rivalries were growing in every team. Pearl and Robin, Chloe and Maggie, and Maddie and Cole especially.

"When the Dastardly Dragonflies lost, largely due to Maddie, the pyromaniac was a clear target. However, clearly there was more than one plan in place, because, though he promised Cole and Olivia to vote for Maddie, Diego was swayed by Harald to take out Olivia, earning him a spot on Cole's ever-growing enemies list.

"Seventeen remain! Who's going to kick that metaphorical bucket next? Find out right now on…

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!" He finished.

 **Theme: I Wanna Be Famous (2007)**

 _-Opening Music-_

The camera begins at a shot of The K'wala Islands from afar. The camera zooms in straight into the forest, where, as foliage is seen being moved aside, Chris relaxes in a lawn chair. Caleb is fanning him with an oversized palm frond, Rachel is peeling grapes, and Frederick is attempting to hastily adjust his hair with a handheld mirror.

 _-Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine-_

As the camera rushes past Chris, Marisa and Giuseppe can be seen, sitting on a fallen tree. Marisa is patiently talking to Giuseppe as he studies from his dictionary. Giuseppe blushes slightly, and when he isn't looking, Marisa checks off a box on a clipboard.

 _-You guys are on my mind-_

In another portion of the forest, Diego fights off invisible enemies with his sword. He laughs triumphantly. Then, he spots something and promptly runs away, terrified. The 'something' is revealed to be Maddie as she runs on-screen with a lighter in her hand. She spots the camera, waves, and takes a bite of chocolate.

 _-You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see-_

The scene changes. Now, Joshua is bragging to Logan as he walks on some sort of boardwalk. Logan rolls his eyes, unamused. Suddenly, Joshua disappears from the screen as the shot pulls out to show that he has fallen off the Lake Gellafiche Boxing Ring. Logan chuckles. Then, Koh jumps at him with her knife in hand. Logan jumps up and consequently falls off the ring, causing Koh to cackle.

 _-I wanna be famous-_

Below them, Robin and Pearl are arguing as they walk along the coast. Both are getting increasingly frustrated. Then, bird poop falls onto Pearl and she screams and runs off, leaving Robin to shrug.

 _-I wanna live close to the Sun-_

The camera follows Pearl for a few moments, then stops on Chloe and Alexei, who are chatting and laughing. Then, Chloe spots something. Crouching down, she pulls out her magnifying glass, which glints in the sunlight.

 _-So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won-_

Maggie sees the duo and starts to walk over. Chloe sees her, stands, and glares, while Alexei stands in between the girls with an exasperated sigh.

 _-Everything to prove, nothing in my way-_

The scene changes again. Now, Zaheen is performing magic for Harald. The acrobat laughs good naturedly as Zaheen pulls out a dove from nowhere. Zaheen puts on a fake smile, which evaporated as soon as Harald isn't looking.

 _-I'll get there one day-_

Ambrose, a few paces away, is using an axe to split wood. Eloa watches him contentedly, when Ambrose removes his shirt to use it as a facecloth, Eloa faints.

 _-'Cause I wanna be famous-_

Cole and Olivia are walking down a path, signing to each other. Olivia silently laughs and Cole blushes. Then, the klutz trips, sending them both down a hill and out of sight.

 _-Na na nana nana, na nana nana na, na nana nana na!-_

The scene returns to Chris. Suddenly, all three interns look at each other, shrug, and start hitting Chris with a palm frond, grapes, and a mirror. The host raises his hands and falls off his chair.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

The eighteen contestants are now running some sort of obstacle course-styled race, where they must jump over a log. Most of them complete it, with Ambrose expertly vaulting over it, Chloe struggling due to her height, Cole tripping and rolling under, and Zaheen merely walking around it.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

They then must climb a wall with ropes attached. Giuseppe helps Marisa up, Koh pushes Alexei aside to get at the wall first, Harald leaps up with surprising speed, and Eloa scampers up.

 _-Doo doodoo doo doodoo…-_

Finally, the contestants are sitting around the campfire, the boys on the right bench and the girls on the left. Cole and Olivia, who sit on the ends, reach out to hold hands, but Maddie jumps up and, using a fiery stick, wards Cole off. She tosses the stick into the campfire as the camera pans upward to show the title- Total Drama: The K'wala Islands.

 _-End of Theme-_

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies- Night 1**_

The five members of the Dastardly Dragonflies- Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, and Zaheen- returned to camp. They didn't say anything to each other.

Cole finally broke the silence. "Dudes!"

That word hung in the air for a while.

"What's up with voting out Olivia?" Cole finally continued. "She was, like…" he trailed off, waving his hand in the air.

"Silent?" Harald supplied.

"Pretty," Maddie grinned.

"Disposable," Zaheen corrected. "It's nothing against you personally, but her disability would have only served to hinder the team."

Cole blinked. "Yeah, but…" He turned to Diego. "You promised to vote out Maddie!"

"You promised to vote out Maddie?" Maddie gasped. "Why would you do that?"

Diego sighed. "Loyalties change, Cole. I still intend on voting Maddie out next time we lose."

"You still intend on voting Maddie out next time we lose?" Maddie gasped. "Why would-"

She was interrupted. "Man, your word means nothing now," Cole shook his head. "How can I take what you say seriously? After betraying me for them?"

He pointed to Zaheen and Harald. The magician smirked as the acrobat picked some lint off his jacket.

"It is hard to explain," Diego insisted.

"So you don't know," Cole said. He looked at the ground. "Man. Of all forty-six thousand, six hundred and fifty-six combinations of votes, it just had to be this one."

"How'd you do that math?" Harald raised an eyebrow.

"What math?" Cole replied. He sighed. "I'm going to gather firewood. Don't follow me."

He turned and left, leaving the others to look at each other.

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"He's going to gather firewood. At night. When we already have enough. Really, Cole? Chris may not have mentioned it, but there's most likely an immunity idol or two in play. How stupid do you think I am?"

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I hope no one's super mad at me for that outburst. It's why I needed to isolate myself, so I could find my zen again."

* * *

"Harald, go trail Cole. Don't make it obvious, but make sure he doesn't find anything, either," Zaheen commanded.

"Is that an order?" Harald asked.

Zaheen choked on her words. "Of- of course not. Merely a suggestion."

Harald nodded. "Good." Then he exited in the same direction as Cole.

Diego looked at this exchange with a raised eyebrow. "He seems to think of himself as the boss."

Zaheen shrugged. "I'm not going to stop him from thinking that. Nor will I lie by disagreeing. However, I would like to discuss with you our new alliance."

"I'm still here!" Maddie interjected. "And now I know about your top-secret alliance! Fear me! Bwahahaha!" She laughed.

"It's not top-secret," Zaheen explained. "We have the majority. I see no reason to hide that. I would ask for you to leave, though, so my ally and I can discuss matters."

"What if I don't wanna?" Maddie crossed her arms and pouted.

Zaheen pointed behind the pyromaniac. "Look," she said in deadpan. "Something shiny and flammable."

"Where?" Maddie turned around and dashed off.

"Let's get out of here," Zaheen quickly said. She and Diego walked away.

Soon, they arrived in a non-forested part of the island. Diego looked at Zaheen. "I assume you were genuine about wanting to include me in your alliance?"

"Of course," Zaheen sat down on a stump and stretched. "I'd like to speak to you about altering the details of the arrangement."

"That doesn't sound good," Diego also sat. "Let me guess: You want me to vote for Cole."

Zaheen nodded. "It's the more rational choice. You might be neutral about him, but he'll have no qualms about voting for you."

"Neither will Maddie," Diego pointed out. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Cole may not think so, but he's smart," Zaheen reasoned. "He speaks at least five languages and can do complex math like it's nothing. He's a threat."

"He's an asset," Diego corrected. "We're not merging for a long while. He may become a threat then, but now, I see him as little more than a factor that can contribute to the success of the team."

"That may be true but I-" Zaheen was cut off by Diego.

"No. I agreed to the alliance on the condition that we'd be voting for Maddie. If you don't, there's no alliance."

"You know, for someone who claims to be a hero, you sure have no problems acting like a villain," Zaheen snapped as Diego stood.

"Strategy and villainy aren't synonymous with each other," Diego said. "You're strategic, but not villainous, as far as I can tell. So I don't think that claim is true."

Zaheen sighed. "Fine. I'll vote for Maddie."

"Good."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I was afraid something like this was going to happen. Luckily, I had my response planned. Zaheen can't expect me to honour her terms if she doesn't feel like honouring mine. It is not the way _El Zorro_ functions."

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I can admit I may be arrogant, but Diego puts me to shame. He justifies villainy under the guise of heroism, and refuses to compromise. 'You're strategic, but not villainous?' Darling, you've got it all wrong. You haven't seen villainous yet."

* * *

Cole sighed as he walked alone, his hands in his pockets. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do?"

He heard a branch crack and snapped his head around. A goat was standing there, softly baaing at him.

"Hey, little guy," Cole walked over and reached his hand out. The goat headbutted his hand gently. "Are you the same goat that we saw this morning?"

The goat didn't reply, but let Cole pet him.

"You're probably the nicest thing on the island right now," Cole chuckled. "Man, that's kind of sad."

The goat brayed sympathetically.

"I think I'll give you a name," Cole decided. "Maybe… huh. Goaty? Nah. Goatella? Hmm… no." He brightened. "Oh! What about-"

"Shiny!" Maddie came running through the forest, straight at Cole. The goat bolted.

Maddie frowned. "Oh. It's just Corncob."

"That's Cole," Cole corrected. "No offense, but, like, could you go? I'm kind of mad still."

"Me too!" Maddie agreed. She unwrapped a chocolate bar and began to munch on it. "You were supposed to go home, not Olive!"

"...Okay, I think I can say the same thing to you," Cole thought about this. "But I'm not mad at you. Just Diego."

"Drogo? He punched my face! In the face!" Maddie complained.

Cole's brow furrowed. "I thought you punched him in the face."

"The details aren't specific," Maddie waved her hand in the air.

"Really? Because, well, this seems like an important distinction," Cole said.

"Never mind! What's important is, I want Diego gone, and you're going to help me vote him out!" Maddie commanded.

"Aren't we enemies, though?" Cole wondered aloud.

"The! Details! Aren't! Specific!" Maddie jabbed a finger in Cole's chest with every word.

"But if you want to vote him out, I'll help," Cole agreed. "He probably deserves it for lying like that. Bad karma or whatever. I don't think he's Hindu. But maybe it doesn't matter? What if-"

"Hey! Focus!" Maddie shouted, taking a bit from her chocolate.

"On what? We already agreed to vote out Diego," Cole reasoned.

Maddie frowned. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. "...Fine!"

"Fine?" Cole agreed, confused, as Maddie stormed off.

Behind them, Harald poked his head out from a tree, a shocked expression on his face.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Corncob's a meanie, yeah, but Drogo sent Olive home! And she was pretty!" She whines. "So if Maddie wants to play strategicalish, her best move is to eliminate Drogo. Now I just have to speak to Harry or ...Z-girl."

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"What an interesting piece of information. Now, in a game like Total Drama, it's obvious what must be done next- Maddie shall soon attempt to split the alliance's vote! That's why it's paramount that I still vote for Cole, just like Zaheen suggested."

* * *

Maddie came back through the clearing.

"Hey! There was no shiny thing! Can you vote for Drogo?" She said to… Diego. "Oh, you're not Z-girl."

Diego blinked. "Er… what?"

Maddie shook her head. "Ignore everything I just said! Especially the part where I said that Corncob and I are voting for you."

"I should be mad, but I'm not surprised," Diego sighed. "It's fine."

Maddie didn't understand. "Maddie doesn't understand."

Diego shook his head. "It's hard to explain. But I'm not going to tell you if you're planning on voting me out."

"Please?"

"No."

Maddie held her breath and stared right at him.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Oh, so you're just going to do that, huh?" Maddie said nothing. "I'm not a parent. It's not going to work."

He looked away.

He looked back. Maddie was standing right next to him, and he flinched and fell back. "Ah!... I'm still not doing it."

Maddie shrugged and continued to hold her breath. She had begun to turn red.

Diego shrugged back. "Enjoy passing out."

Maddie grinned. Then she did exactly that.

"What- what the-" Diego leaned over her. She wasn't moving. "How-"

"Tell me!" Maddie suddenly shouted.

" _I'm worried that Zaheen is sneakier than she claims and has ulterior motives!_ " Diego said instantly without thinking. Then he growled, "Did you fake passing out to get a response from me?"

"Pssh," Maddie chuckled, waving her hand as she sprung up. "No, why would I-"

"You faked passing out to get a response from me," Diego deadpanned.

"Yep!" Maddie agreed. "So, worried about… whatsherface?"

"Zaheen?"

"Zastin," Maddie agreed. "Let's chat! I watched fourteen seasons of _Dr. Bill_ so I'm, like, super qualified to deal with your problems."

"Deal with yourself, then," Diego muttered.

"I'mma pretend like I didn't hear that!" Maddie shouted, suddenly getting in Diego's face. "You wanna go? I'll go! I'll fight!"

"I'll leave," Diego rolled his eyes. "I think I'll get some sleep. Though it might be hard with the constant fear of waking up with my pants on fire."

Maddie cackled. "Thanks for the idea!"

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"So Drogo doesn't like Zastin… aha! This will be perfect for voting him out! My master plan is in place. After Drogo goes home, then it will be Corncob, then Harry, and finally Zastin… and everyone else on the other teams, I guess. But then, the game will be mine!"

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I keep thinking about the conversation Zaheen and I had. Do you think I allied with a villain? It cannot be! _El Zorro_ would never do such a thing! And yet… I'm in a perfect position in the game, and if it wasn't a _Zorro_ move, then it was a Diego move. Does that mean I must choose between _El Zorro_ and my chances in the game? I just don't understand!"

* * *

"Zaheen, dearie," Harald greeted as he re-entered the clearing. "How are you?"

"Not good. Diego refuses to vote for Cole," Zaheen said through gritted teeth as Harald put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll have to decide whether it's worth pursuing to try to convince him of seeing things from my perspective or if I should just vote for Maddie, as per the original agreement."

"I?" Harald repeated.

"We," Zaheen corrected. "Obviously I meant we."

"Sure," Harald sounded unconvinced.

Zaheen tried to make her face soft, which failed. "Harald… darling. We're in this together, of course. Each of us has an equal say in this arrangement."

"Untrue," Harald disagreed. "I believe, as the acrobat extraordinaire, I should get the larger slice of the pie."

A vein started to throb on Zaheen's forehead. Still, she choked out a hasty "Sure."

"Then I say we should vote for Maddie! Our votes must stay united!" Harald declared.

Zaheen clenched her fist. "Are… are you sure? Cole would be a much better selection, in my eyes."

"I am positive," Harald assured her. "Besides. We have the majority. It matters not who goes home next, because both members of the newfound opposing alliance shall go home soon!"

"Newfound alliance?" Zaheen quickly raised an eyebrow. "As in, one between Maddie and Cole? Which you didn't explain to me?"

Harald shrugged. "I see no reason to share information with you if I'm making our decisions."

"Of course," Zaheen smiled. "If you'll excuse me…"

She left. Seconds later, a scream of frustration could be heard.

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Zaheen's acting strange- rather angry, if I say so myself. She kept getting more and more furious as we continued speaking. It is odd, especially since she's in the calming presence of Har-" The camera shuts off.

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

She rubs her temples. "Why did I have to partner with the most obnoxiously pig-headed dummy on the island? With Harald believing he has veto power on his side and Diego's opinion matching, I'm suddenly outnumbered in my own alliance. _In! My! Own! Alliance!_ It's not even day two! And then Harald drops that Maddie and Cole are working together, which is what the plan hinged on not happening, and… ugh! I have no idea what my next move is!"

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps- Day 2**_

The sun was just beginning to rise, and Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl and Robin were sleeping. Most of them, anyway.

In their professional-looking shelter, Ambrose, Giuseppe, and Robin lay on one side, while Marisa and Eloa slept on the other side, the two groups separated by a barrier of fronds. Meanwhile, Pearl was nowhere to be seen.

Ambrose opened his eyes. He looked around to make sure than no one else was awake and slowly eased himself up until he was standing.

He glanced around one more time, stepping over Giuseppe and out of the shelter. Then he started to walk around camp- and to check every nook and cranny that was available.

The athlete worked quickly, upturning plants and peering into holes in trees. He had nearly searched throughout the entirety of camp when a voice startled him.

"Idol hunting already, I see," Pearl said from the top of a tree. She reclined on a particularly thick branch a few feet over Ambrose's head. She looked rather uncomfortable.

"What the- where did you come from?" Ambrose hissed, jumping back.

Pearl looked around. "I've been right here the whole time. Were you looking for an immunity idol?"

Ambrose sighed. "There's no point in hiding it, I guess."

"You won't find it in camp. I checked," Pearl explained. "I guess production doesn't want to make it too obvious."

"Hey," Ambrose's brow furrowed. "Why would you tell me you were looking for an idol?"

Pearl hopped down from the tree. She then opened a fresh bottle of hand sanitizer and began to liberally apply it to her hands, arms, and face. "I don't want you to feel like I have any leverage over you."

"When you ask me to be in an alliance," Ambrose finished the thought for her.

Pearl nodded. "More specifically, to join the alliance between you and Eloa, to vote out Robin."

Ambrose frowned. "Eloa-"

"I know what you're thinking. How could she know? The answer comes from the process of elimination. You dislike Robin, and Giuseppe and Marisa already aligned with each other. Yet I believe that I guy as threatening physically as you would want some sort of strategic firepower, and I-"

"Eloa and I aren't in an alliance," Ambrose cut her off. "She asked, but I said no."

Pearl made a face. "...Oh. Okay. So just the two of us, then?"

Ambrose shook his head. "I'm not interested in alliances right now."

"Not interested," Pearl repeated.

"Sorry," Ambrose shrugged.

"Would you be open to voting out Robin with no strings attached afterward?" Pearl asked.

"You really want him gone."

Pearl sniffed. "For obvious reasons, I should think. HIs 'leadership' is glorified bossiness, and he actually detracts from the team because of it."

Ambrose shook his head. "I'll consider it, okay? I'm not into leaning very far in any direction."

"Everyone else has no such qualms," Pearl warned. "So I hope you make the right choice."

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"This is a bit of a pickle I'm in, huh? I woke up this morning wanting to vote out Pearl if we lost, but she made an excellent point about Robin. Plus, she's willing to trust me, which no one has done since… well, my ex." He suddenly darkens and sighs.

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"I think I come across as rude to people, which I knew going out of the gate would put a target on my back. So I'll have to play strategically for now, and lie low when I'm in a better position. I wouldn't, of course, be so confident… unless I had this."

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a wooden square. Carved into it is an elaborate image of a wasp. "This is one authentic immunity idol," she brags. "Able to save the person of my choosing, including me, from going home."

She chuckles. "Maybe I was lying when I told Ambrose I hadn't found anything."

* * *

The other four contestants had since woken up and were in various stages of preparing for the day.

"Let's review from yesterday," Marisa was saying to Giuseppe. "Show… you."

Giuseppe pointed to Marisa. "You."

"Show… run."

Giuseppe stood and jogged in place.

"Show… loss."

Giuseppe procured a four panel meme in which a guy goes to the hospital- never mind. No one's reading this anyway.

"Show… alliance."

Giuseppe pointed to himself and Marisa with both hands.

Robin, who was watching from afar, chose this moment to say, "Are you not making it painfully obvious that you two are in an alliance?"

"I see no reason to hide it," Marisa replied. "We might as well play honestly, right, Giuseppe?"

Giuseppe shrugged. "...Win?"

"Close enough," Marisa amended. "Besides, with my partner-in-crime slash potential love interest by my side, we can't fail!"

"Ha!" Robin chuckled. "Love interest. I hope you kid! A relationship will do you very little in this game aside from serving as a hindrance to your strategic pursuits."

"Tell that to Owen, Duncan, Alejandro, Mike, and Sky," Marisa retorted.

Robin frowned. "You got me there," he muttered. "Still, this seems like a recipe for disaster without someone to lead your duo. That's why I'm courteously volunteering to join your alliance!"

Marisa and Giuseppe looked at each other.

"Let me consult with Giuseppe," Marisa quickly said. She turned to the Italian boy. "Robin… ally?"

She gave a wink.

Giuseppe didn't pick up on the meaning behind the gesture, so he winked back, turned to Robin, and said, "No. We lose, alliance vote Robin."

Robin gasped as Marisa smacked her forehead.

"How could you do this to me?" Robin asked. His voice lost some of its fanciful tone. "All I'm trying to do is lead the team to victory, and you want to vote me off because of it?"

"Sorry?" Marisa tried.

Robin sighed. "This is a lot to take in," he shook his head. "What would possess you to vote for me?"

He walked away, muttering.

"Giuseppe," Marisa groaned. "We didn't want to let him know that we were targeting him!"

Giuseppe cocked his head and stared.

Marisa sighed and grabbed his dictionary. " _Non… volevamo..._ "

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

" _Non sono un grande fan della prepotenza di Robin. Ciò che mi sorprende è la sua reazione nell'apprendere che è nel nostro mirino. Non se lo aspettava già?"_ He clears his throat. "Robin… team… lose."

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"As cute as Giuseppe's language barrier makes him… his communication issues are a little difficult to work around. But a little non-strategic plot armour is just what I needed right now! Or… is that non-strategic? Maybe partially strategic? I don't know."

* * *

Robin trudged through the forest without a destination in mind.

He heard a branch snap and jumped. "Who's there?"

"Just me," Eloa came out with her hands raised.

"Figures," Robin sighed. "You want to vote me out, too, huh?"

Eloa shook her head. "Not- not immediately."

"But yes," Robin rolled his eyes. Then he kicked a tree. "Argh! Why did I think this was a good idea?"

"What, Total Drama?" Eloa frowned. "We're all here for the same reason."

"No, no," Robin shook his head. He dropped his voice. "I- I can't really tell you."

"Now you have to tell me," Eloa countered. "It's the first rule of moving along a conversation."

"What?" Robin scowled. "That doesn't make any sense. You're beginning to sound like Marisa."

Eloa chuckled. "I guess I am, aren't I? Anyway, what did you want to say?"

"Nothing. Just… nothing," Robin shook his head. "I'll be going."

He tried to walk away but Eloa stepped in his path. She put on a serious expression. "Honestly. What do you need to get off your chest? I'm a peer counselor at school. I'm prepared for this."

"Go away," Robin tried once more to leave.

"Just open up-"

"I don't need to open up to anybody okay?" Robin snapped, causing Eloa to step back. "I am completely, one hundred percent fine, and by preventing my exit you…" he trailed off. "Just get out of my way!"

"Okay," Eloa frowned. She turned and left.

"And mind your own business," Robin said. But his words were shaky.

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"Eloa's trying to create problems where there are none. I swear, I'm perfectly okay. So what if I'm mad that Marisa and Giuseppe are trying to vote me out despite my giving everything I have in challenges? That's a logical response."

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I think Robin's hiding something; like one of those instincts that you have no proof of but also have all the proof you need. I know he's on track to receive a lot of votes, but I'm worried that he may need professional help. So I'm not going to vote him off just yet."

* * *

Eloa made her way back to the shelter, but a loud thumping noise startled her.

"What's that?" she said to herself as the steady _THUMP THUMP_ continued. She wandered over and realized what was happening.

Ambrose, shirtless, was using his fist to drive a board into the side of a tree, where there was a small gap. As he adjusted the board, he looked up. "Hi, Eloa."

Eloa straight up fainted.

Ambrose's eyes widened and he rushed over. "What the- hey! Medic!"

A small intern dressed in red appeared on the scene. She wore a doctor's mask over her face and studied Eloa with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm," she said indecisively.

Then, she slapped Eloa in the face.

The Brazilian came to, blinking wearily. She slowly sat up. "What… what happened?"

"You fainted," the medic said. "Here's some water for you," she procured a water bottle and handed it to Eloa. "And, to make sure you don't pass out again," she found a large polo shirt and tossed it in Ambrose's general direction.

Ambrose donned the shirt. "Thanks, uh… what's your name?"

The medic might have frowned, though it was hard to tell behind her mask. "Me? I'm an intern. My name's not important." Then she ran off.

Ambrose shrugged and looked at Eloa. "Are you okay?"

Eloa nodded as she gulped down the water. "Yeah… I'm good." She looked at the board, now wedged in the tree. "What's that all about?"

"I wanted to make a bench," Ambrose said. "Just for, uh… sitting. Once I find a stump or a rock or something I'll be able to finish it."

"We're a bit far from camp," Eloa said as she stood.

Ambrose went red. "It took a while to find a tree that would work."

"Why didn't you just find two stumps or rocks or somethings?" Eloa wondered, not unkindly. "Then you could've moved it closer."

The athlete sighed. "I just wanted to do something with my hands."

"I see," Eloa clued in. "Hey, are we still voting for Pearl in our not-alliance?"

"Not to sound indecisive, but I was thinking of voting for Robin," Ambrose said. "Is that all right?"

Eloa tensed up. "I don't know… I really feel like Pearl's our best bet."

"Thing is, I'm worried about her having an idol," Ambrose said. "She openly admitted to searching for one."

"What about Giuseppe?" Eloa started to sweat. "Or maybe Marisa?"

Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to vote for Robin that badly?"

"I really think we need to give him a chance. To be fair, we haven't lost because of him."

"Yet," Ambrose supplied. "What if he sucks?"

"What if he's great? I think we're all assuming he can't lead based on his personality."

Ambrose studied her. "...All right. The not-alliance is voting for Pearl."

"Okay," Eloa smiled. "Thanks for seeing things my way."

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I'm glad Ambrose isn't some depressed loser after his breakup. Did that sound mean? I really didn't mean for it to sound mean! I just think he's doing well for being so heartbroken. No! That's not what I meant either! Dang!"

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"It's a good thing Eloa and I aren't in an alliance. Otherwise I might feel worse about lying to her like that. Look, if she wants to flush Pearl's idol, she can go ahead. But someone has to receive the second-most votes, and I want to make sure it's not me. If I have to lie about not voting for Robin to do that, so be it."

* * *

"There you are!" Marisa exclaimed as she saw Eloa and Ambrose. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No," Ambrose shook his head. "We were just discussing what the next challenge could be."

"Y-yeah," Eloa caught on to the lie. "I said 'I think it's going to be...'"

"Water skiing," Ambrose supplied. "But I said, 'I hope it'll be…' take it away, Eloa."

"Dog grooming!" Eloa yelped. "And I agreed. So we think it's dog grooming."

Marisa blinked. "Okay. Eloa, can I see you for a sec?"

"Everyone wants to talk to me," Eloa murmured. "Sure," she said at her normal volume.

The two girls left Ambrose, who was facepalming repeatedly, and re-entered the camp.

Giuseppe and Pearl were already there, playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt with sticks.

"Win! Win!" Giuseppe cheered as he connected three Xs.

"That's not how you play! I'm the Xs! You're the- oh, there's Marisa and Eloa," Pearl noted the two girls' entrance.

They sat. Then, Marisa said, "So, do you want to know why I've gathered you?"

"Girls' alliance?" Pearl guessed. "And Fabio here."

She nodded to Giuseppe, who was studying the tic-tac-toe board intently.

"Yeah," Marisa agreed. "Every season needs a strong alliance, and what better way to do it than between three strong women?"

"And Fabio," Pearl added.

"And Fa- Giuseppe," Marisa agreed. She lowered her voice. "But between you and me, we won't need him forever."

Eloa frowned. "I don't know if I want to be in this alliance."

"You're going to pass up all this extra security?" Marisa gestured around, indicating herself, Pearl, and Giuseppe.

Eloa thought about it. "I guess I could take a stab at playing strategically. I'm in, for now."

"Pearl?" Marisa prompted.

"Why not," Pearl waved her hand lazily.

"That makes four of us!" Marisa exclaimed. "We'll be the strongest alliance of the show's history!"

"Can we pick a target before we get too caught up in jubilation?" Pearl asked, idly picking lint off her shirt. "I'm partial to Robin."

"We vote Robin!" Giuseppe spoke up.

"Robin works for me," Marisa added.

Eloa felt three pairs of eyes on her. "I… I don't want to vote for him. He hasn't even lost us a challenge! We're just assuming he will because-"

"He's an insufferable know-it-all?" Pearl finished.

"Exactly!" Eloa agreed. "Wait, no. I just mean that we can't decide on someone as a target based on what they might do."

Marisa pondered this. "We might be a little judgemental of him… Giuseppe?"

"We no vote Robin?" Giuseppe caught everyone's frowns. "Um… we vote soon Robin? Not next ee-lam-an-ashun?" He sounded out the words, and everyone nodded.

"Are you guys kidding me?" Pearl snapped. "Did you see him? If his head were any bigger it'd float away."

"Sorry," Marisa looked at her. "Three-to-one majority. Looks like we're voting for Ambrose!"

Eloa choked on her words as everyone stood, albeit reluctantly in Pearl's case. "WHAT? Why can't we just vote for… she counted on her fingers and paled. Oh…"

"You were the one to move the target away from Robin," Pearl said. "Ambrose is our only other option. Unless you were planning on voting for one of us?"

Eloa sighed. "I, um… have to consider this."

"That's okay," Marisa said before Pearl could interject. "Take your time and get back to us."

Eloa left without a word.

"Do you think she'll actually stick with us?" Pearl wondered.

"Time will tell," Marisa replied.

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"I finally got around to making that girls' alliance, and I think it went well. I didn't think Ambrose would be the target, but if that's what everyone wants, why not? I'm sure we'll eliminate both boys in due time."

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

" _Non sono sicuro del perché abbiamo iniziato a parlare di Ambrose alla fine. Penso che stiamo ancora prendendo di mira Robin_." He frowns. "Alliance vote Robin? Yes? No? No know."

* * *

Later- the sun was higher in the sky- Pearl found herself trudging down to the beach.

She groaned, however, when she saw that Robin was already there. Before she could turn around, Robin beckoned for her to come.

"Great," Pearl griped as she diverted her course over to the perfectionist.

"Pearl!" Robin greeted. "I believe we may have started things off on an awkward note. Being tied to anyone for as long as we were can irritate the best of people."

"Well, we're certainly not the best of people," Pearl managed a weak smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin was suddenly on guard.

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "That's called a joke. They're really popular, you should try it out sometime."

"Who cares about humour when there's a game to be played?" Robin replied. "Who cares about humour when there's a team to be lead?"

Pearl scoffed. "I'm no comedian myself, but even I know you can't play the game 24/7."

"Watch me," Robin adjusted his shirt smugly.

"I will," Pearl rolled her eyes. "Is that all? Did you just call me down here to affirm your superiority?"

Robin looked into the distance. "There was something else…"

"Making amends after you treated me like crap yesterday?" Pearl supplied.

"I could say the same thing," There was a hard edge in Robin's voice.

"You started it by being such a Melvin," Pearl crossed her arms. "If you weren't so uptight-"

"There is nothing wrong with paying attention to details!" Robin interrupted.

"Clearly there is, or else everyone wouldn't want to vote-" Pearl stopped mid-sentence.

"Cat got your tongue?" Robin looked down at her.

Pearl clenched her hands. "I… I'm leaving now."

Robin chuckled to himself as he watched her leave.

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"I was going to say 'or else everyone wouldn't want to vote you out', but with this stupid alliance targeting Ambrose, I can't even claim that we're voting him out!" She rubs her forehead with a hand. "I didn't realize how big a barrier this alliance would be to achieving my own goals."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"Pearl's starting to think she's more powerful than she is. It's tough to have someone so obstinate as a part of your team, but if I have my way, she'll be eliminated soon."

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas- Night 2**_

Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie were all in various places around their camp.

"Aha! Torches," Logan said. He had been fashioning three long torches out of sticks and sap.

"You think they'll work, Leugen?" Joshua asked him.

"Only one way to find out," Logan replied. He dipped one end of the torch into the fire, and watched as the end ignited.

"Nice!" Joshua watched as the fire spread down the stick of the torch, burning Logan's hand before he could toss it into the fire.

"Dang. I thought that would work," Logan sighed. He tossed the other two into the fire before turning to Joshua. "We should discuss the deal we brokered yesterday."

"About the alliance?"

"No, about trading fantasy football players," Logan hissed so only he could hear. Resuming his normal volume, he said, "Yes, about the alliance."

"Aren't we voting for Chloe?" Joshua asked.

Logan shook his head. "It was necessary to say that at the time in order to lull Maggie into a sense of security. That way, we can vote in a block of three without fear of a combined alliance from the opposition."

Joshua blinked.

"I lied to Maggie to vote for Chloe and I lied to Alexei and Chloe to vote for Maggie. You, me, and Koh will pick a side later," Logan summarized.

"Ah," Joshua smiled. Then he frowned. "Wait, Koh? Why her?"

"No one else wants to be in an alliance with her," Logan shrugged.

"That's 'cause she's scary!" Joshua exclaimed, which caused a few heads to turn in their direction.

Logan said, "Still, it means she's easy pickings for alliance material."

"But we don't have to keep her forever, right?" Joshua asked.

"Of course not. But for now, she's going to be helpful, believe me."

"Hmm," Joshua sounded unconvinced. "Okay. I'll trust her for now."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"Leugen better know what he's doing, because I don't know how much we can trust Koh. She's just so mean! I bet she kicks puppies and cuts in line at the grocery store."

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"Right now, my closest two allies are someone who's managed to alienate the entire team and someone who's so incredibly stupid that he lowers my IQ whenever I'm around him. On the plus side, because Koh has no other options and because I can fool Joshua without batting an eyelash, I doubt they'll waver from me. And if they do, I can drop them like," he snaps. "that."

* * *

Maggie sat alone, reading by firelight.

"You moron," she said aloud. "She's totally not using you to get to the Sword of Agbax. Oh, sure! Just show her the sword. What a great idea. She stole it? What a huge surprise."

"Do you do that with all of your books?" Alexei asked, appearing over her shoulder.

Maggie didn't startle. She just looked bored. She answered in her usual monotone. "Just the ones where the protagonist is an idiot. So yes."

Alexei grimaced. "Oh. Cool. So… how's it going?"

"I'm fine," Maggie shrugged. "...You?"

"Pretty good. I'm excited to be on Total Drama, so that's cool. I've already made some friends, which is nice," Alexei grinned.

"How do you make friends so quickly?" Maggie snapped. "Barely anyone's even spoken to me, aside from you. What's your secret?"

"Im naturally extroverted, I guess," Alexei bounced on the balls of his feet. "It sucks that there's only five others on the team. I'm only at four friends out of seventeen."

"Four?" Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"You, Chloe, Joshua, and Logan, who else?"

Maggie gave this some thought. "I haven't seen you hanging out with Joshua and Logan."

"We spoke briefly," Alexei said.

"That doesn't mean that they're your friends," Maggie said.

"Why not?" Alexei looked genuinely confused.

"You just met them!" Maggie also looked genuinely confused. "How can you be friends with someone you just met?"

"I just met you yesterday," Alexei pointed out. "Does that mean we're not friends?"

"I guess not," Maggie shrugged. "Not yet, anyway."

"Oh…" Alexei said, hurt. "Okay."

Maggie's tone softened. "Alexei-"

"No, it's fine," Alexei stood. "I think I'll go talk with one of my friends."

Maggie watched him leave.

* * *

Confessional: Alexei- Terrible Tarantulas

"Yeah, it hurt that Maggie didn't consider us friends yet. Friendship is a big thing for me, and I thought there was something there. I guess not. Maybe it's for the better that we're voting her off."

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"It's hypocritical of me to call the characters in my books ignorant when my social skills are non-existent. At the same time, I really don't consider Alexei or anyone a friend. I don't get attached easily- it saves me time and emotional investment. But I can't help but feel I made a mistake."

* * *

"Hey! You! Anti-government chick!" Koh barked.

Chloe looked up. "What do you want?"

Koh strode over. "What's up with you being all 'the government is spying on us' and stuff like that?"

"Do you really want an answer or are you just trying to be critical?" Chloe asked her.

"Hell, I'm curious," Koh said. "So, uh, you'd better tell me, or you'll be sorry!"

Chloe shrugged. "Okay," she seemed indifferent to Koh's scare tactics. She lowered her voice. "They live in every country in the world. Controlling affairs of governments, manipulating powerful people, and all of this to achieve their own selfish goals."

"Who? And what?" Koh sounded interested.

"A clan with no name. And their objective is to run the world from the shadows to profit off everything they can."

"Everything?"

"Everything," Chloe confirmed spookily.

Koh hesitated. "You're going to have to give me proof, 'cause that's the dumbest {CENSORED} I ever heard."

"Name anything," Choe challenged.

Koh crossed her arms. "Gun control."

"Why do you think the American government refuses to control firearms? Because gun stocks rise significantly after every mass shooting. It's a gold mine," Chloe said. "Anything else?"

"...Those cooking shows you see on TV," Koh challenged after a period of thought.

"People are becoming more and more sedentary. Television producers combine this with something everyone loves- food," Chloe said without a moment's hesitation.

"School?"

"Teaches propaganda. That's why I don't go," Chloe explained.

"Same," Koh agreed. "Not about the propaganda. The school part."

"Anything else, or are you convinced?" Chloe crossed her arms smugly.

Koh scowled. "Maraschino cherries?"

Chloe's brow furrowed. "Um… okay. So they haven't permeated every industry yet. Give them time, though, they will. And it'll be beautiful. Terrible, but beautiful," Chloe gazed off into the distance.

A pause.

"Yeah, no, you're tripping," Koh stood. "That's just dumb."

"I thought I had you…" Chloe sighed wistfully.

"Feel free to keep spreading your bull, but I'm not interested," Koh cackled. "Later, Chloser."

She left.

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"Koh exudes chaotic energy. I thought I could harness that to make her see the light about the clan that has no name, but apparently not. Still, she didn't have to be so rude about brushing me off."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"What a weirdo. I don't know who Logan wants me to vote out- the mannequin who," she suddenly puts on a monotone and makes her face completely neutral, "talks like this, or," she resumes her prior tone. "The chick who babbles crazy crap about how the government is controlling us- but either way, I'll be happy."

* * *

Koh was leaving when she saw Logan.

"No time like the present," she muttered, walking over. "Yo, servant boy!"

"My friends call me Logan," Logan said dryly.

"Like you have friends," Koh shrugged. "You decided what side we're going to pick in this conflict you made?"

"'Conflict you made,'" Logan chuckled. "You make it sounds so impressive."

"Well?" Koh demanded.

"Patience," Logan chided her. "That's the beauty about playing like we are. We can spend all the time we want evaluating and they'll be none the wiser."

"Unless they tell each other," Koh pointed out.

The servant shook his head. "Who would be stupid enough to tell the people they're supposedly blindsiding that they're blindsiding them?"

"Joshua," Koh supplied.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Did I not tell you that I recruited Josh to be on our side?"

"Hell {CENORED} no you didn't!" Koh barked.

"Hey, quiet down," Logan put a hand on Koh's shoulder, which she immediately brushed off, gripping her knife.

"Why the everloving…" Koh growld. "Joshua? He's a moron!"

"...Which is precisely what makes him an asset to our twosome," Logan completed for her. "Not to mention, he's the only one other than us involved with the Maggie-Chloe schism."

The punk glared. "Twosome? Schism? What are you on?"

Logan raised his hands up defensively. "That's the second time today I've been reprimanded for using words above my conversation partner's grasp. Perhaps I should stop."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Koh asked. "Calling me stupid?"

"...This conversation isn't going the way I envisioned it," Logan said after a long while. "Let's just revel in the beauty of indecision until it's taken away from us."

"You really are on something," Koh said.

"The irony here being that the hoodlum is accusing me of drug usage," Logan laughed to himself, but stopped short at Koh's glare.

"So you haven't made any decision, you went behind my back to recruit a dummy, and you called me stupid and a drug user," Koh summarized.

Logan hesiated. "Well, I've never been one for tact-"

"I'm leaving. Tell me once you can get your {CENSORED} together," Koh breathed as she left.

Logan sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"I'm a pretty anti-social person by nature. It lends me to be awkward around people. Especially girls. Especially pretty girls who could kill me if they wanted to. Nevertheless, I think that things will soon be going swimmingly. Once Chloe or Maggie goes home- and I will, contrary to Koh's belief, pick a side- I'll have a majority at my fingertips. This game's almost too easy."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"There's a whole truckload of words I could use to describe Logan, but I don't want to sound like that dork. Twosome? Schism? Reprimanded? He's a freak, and not in a good way. Sucks that he's my best hope for staying in the game."

* * *

"So then she called me Chloser," Chloe was relating a story to Alexei. "And just left."

"Koh's mean," Alexei shrugged. "Sometimes that's all there is to it."

"That seems like an un-Alexei thing to say," Chloe said with concern. "Are you all right?"

Alexei sighed. "I'm… decent. I just… Maggie."

"That's not really an emotion, but go on," Chloe prompted.

"She just has this general contempt for life that I don't get!" Alexei exclaimed. "It's like she wants to be around people, but whenever she is he's in a bad mood. And she said she doesn't even consider us friends! And she said I'm the only person she's exchanged more than a few words with. I don't get her!"

Alexei panted.

"Feels good to rant, doesn't it?" Chloe said. "But why do you feel so strongly about her?"

"I… I don't know," Alexei shrugged. "Maybe because she really just needs a friend."

"Do you like her?" Chloe asked tentatively.

Alexei shook his head. "There's someone else I like, actually."

Chloe blushed but turned away so he wouldn't notice. "Oh. So that's not it."

"I think I just feel guilty for not doing more," Alexei said.

"Well, out of sight, out of mind, right?" Chloe tried to brighten the mood. "And out of island soon. That should help you forget."

"But…" Alexei paused. "I don't know if I want to vote her out."

"Logan and Koh made us an alliance offer, and you don't want to take it?"Chloe asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"Look, I'm all I'm saying is voting out Maggie can wait," Alexei explained. "Maybe we can work with her instead of against her."

"I understand that you like Maggie and want her too stay," Chloe replied, "But she's pretty mean to everyone else. And she's a strategic threat. The offer's too good not to take up."

"You're just saying that because you don't like her at all," Alexei accused under his breath.

"I really don't, but unless you can offer an alternative, it won't matter, because she's going home either way."

"Well, then, maybe I will offer an alternative," Alexei decided.

"I sure hope not…" Chloe murmured.

* * *

Confessional: Alexei- Terrible Tarantulas

"I get that Chloe and Maggie don't like each other. But maybe I can help them unite for the common good, which sounds a little superhero-ey. The three of us together would do more good than separately. Now if only I can get them to see it too…"

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"It's not enough for Maggie to reject the knowledge of the clan. She actually looks down on me because of it. She's so condescending, and I can't wait to vote her out. So hopefully Alexei can't come up with some scheme. On another note… do you think I'm the one he's talking about when he says he likes someone? Or am I just hoping?"

* * *

"No, bacon is not a vegetable," Maggie said exasperatedly to Joshua as they walked alongside each other.

"Isn't it though?" Joshua grinned.

"No. It's not," Maggie said plainly. "I never should've made the attempt to socialize with you."

"Um, rude! _Du är väldigt irriterande_ ," Joshua said in Swedish.

" _Rolig fakta_ ," Maggie replied. "I know Swedish too."

"...Oh," Joshua said awkwardly. "Hey, there's Chloe and Alexei! Let's say hi!"

"More people," Maggie groaned, raising her fist in a fake-cheer. "Great."

They approached.

"Maggie," Chloe said as she stared at her.

"Chloe," Maggie replied in kind.

There was a long stretch of silence.

"Oh!" Alexei suddenly burst out. "I've got it!"

They turned to stare at him.

"The four of us are going to be in an alliance!" Alexei declared.

"...What?" Maggie spoke first.

"I, uh, haven't thought through all the details yet," Alexei backtracked, "But why don't we all put our differences aside for a while and stand united?"

"You want me in an alliance with _her_?" Maggie and Chloe asked at the same time, pointing at each other.

"She's annoying!" Chloe added.

"She's intolerable," Maggie replied.

"But," Alexei faltered. "We could… vote for Koh! Yeah! She's bad for team morale, and even though I don't want to vote anyone off, she's the one I'd choose first."

"That makes a bit of sense," Chloe ceded.

"Indeed," Maggie agreed.

"Now you're on the same page. Isn't this a good idea?" Alexei grinned. "So you're in?"

"Yep," Chloe smiled faintly.

"I suppose," Maggie answered.

"Joshua?" Alexei turned to Joshua, who had been silent for this entire conversation.

"...I'll think about it," Joshua frowned.

"That's not a solid answer," Maggie pointed out. "Why-"

"I said I'll think!" Joshua interrupted. "Give me some time."

"Okay," Alexei said warily. "Um… go team!"

He looked around as no one left.

"Now what?" Chloe asked.

Maggie started to turn around and leave, and the others followed suit.

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"I thought this would be just another crazy idea that would never work, but I can see how this can work to my advantage. If Koh goes home, I think I can get Alexei and Joshua on my side. Then I can vote out the biggest nuisance and the biggest strategist here. Aside from myself, of course." she finishes. Then she scowls. "I mean for the strategist. Not the nuisance part."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"What do I do? What do I do? The alliance wants to vote out Koh, who's with Logan," he frets. Then he gives a sinister smile. "Or, maybe I shouldn't tell them. Koh's seriously scary, and if I act like I had no idea about the alliance…" he shakes his head. "I've got a big choice ahead of me if we lose."

* * *

 _ **The Challenge- Day 3**_

A wide-angle shot of the scenery zoomed in, focusing on Lake Gellafiche.

Situated in the middle of the lake was what appeared to be a giant table with long legs. A sign hung from the front, the letters displayed reading: _K'WALA BOXING RING._

As for the people, Caleb and Rachel stood near the coast, chatting.

"So that's why I think they should bring back baseball as an Olympic sport," Rachel concluded.

"Huh. I suppose if other countries could adapt to American rules, it could be feasible," Caleb figured. "Obviously they're not going to listen to some no-name teenager, though."

"A girl can dream," Rachel gazed into the distance wistfully. "I wouldn't have taken you for a baseball fan."

"It's all analytical," Caleb explained. "The batting order, the fielders' positions, where to hit the ball, plus the plays that have to be made. And my entire family roots for the Yankees."

Rachel cringed. "And here I was thinking we were getting along. I'm Red Sox."

"Enjoy not winning the World Series for a solid twenty years," Caleb chuckled.

Suddenly, an alarm went off.

"Oh! That's me!" Rachel realized. She tapped a button on her watch and suddenly dropped down to the ground, doing push ups.

"What are you…" Caleb trailed off as Rachel hopped up.

"I have to stay in shape," Rachel shrugged. "So I'm doing a different workout every other day. Last time it was jogging, now this."

"I don't get why you bother," Caleb said with a bit of an edge in his voice.

Rachel sighed. "That's fine. I didn't expect you to."

* * *

Confessional: Caleb

"Her general high-key attitude can be a bit much to handle, but Rachel's alright, I guess. Not someone I'd sit beside if we were in the same high school, but I wouldn't complain if we were doing a group project together."

* * *

Confessional: Rachel

"Give Caleb something that he likes to talk about and he'll bore you for hours. But anything he doesn't like he's not interested in. It makes for some tough conversations, but at least I'll know what we have in common by the end of this!"

* * *

"I think the contestants are coming," Rachel pointed.

" _No_ ," Caleb muttered sarcastically.

Indeed, as they said this, the seventeen remaining contestants entered the area in the order of their placement the challenge prior.

"Welcome, Terrible Tarantulas," Rachel greeted as they came over.

"Hi, Rach!" Alexei waved good-naturedly.

"Wicked Wasps," Caleb greeted curtly as they appeared.

"Reporting for duty," Robin saluted.

"And you can take a look at the new Dastardly Dragonflies, down one member after they voted out Olivia," Rachel narrated as the team arrived.

"Olivia?" Logan mused. "Not who I would've picked."

Once all three teams stood on their respective mats, Caleb began to speak. "Well, welcome to your first official challenge of the season. After today, someone will be voted out. But that won't be you if you can win this challenge."

Rachel gestured behind her, to the platform overlooking the water. "This is the Lake Gellafiche Boxing Ring. It may not have ropes and it may be high up, but neither of these will stop countless face-off challenges from happening up there."

"This one included," Caleb added. "For this challenge, one member of each team at a time will attempt to stay out of the water for as long as possible. Whoever stays on the longest nets two points for their team, and second place gets one. Whichever team gets to six points first wins"

"Anything goes here as long as you're not touching the water. Be creative!" Rachel smiled. "Now, Terrible Tarantulas, you won a reward in the last challenge."

"That we did," Maggie agreed.

"So for this challenge," Rachel continued, "Your team will only have to get five points to win, as opposed to six for the other teams."

"That's a nice bonus!" Joshua grinned.

"You earned it," Caleb said. "And, like many of the challenges this season, this will be for a reward."

Rachel said, "The team with the most points at the end of-" Then she stopped, her alarm beeping. "Oop! Sorry!"

She started doing push ups.

"The team with the most points at the end of the challenge will win a tarp to cover their shelter," Caleb finished with a glance at Rachel. "Which you'll probably need, since it's going to rain tonight."

"And finally," Rachel said as she stood, "One member from the Terrible Tarantulas and the Wicked Wasps will have to sit out this challenge to make up for the Dragonflies' being down a member. Decide amongst-"

"I'll do it," Maggie instantly volunteered. She looked at her team. "You cannot pay me to have physical contact with someone voluntarily."

"Sounds good," Alexei said with a forced smile.

The Wicked Wasps took a while longer to respond. Eventually, they agreed on a contestant.

"I'm sitting out," Pearl raised her hand. At Caleb's outstretched arm, they made their way to a bench.

"All right. We'll get everyone situated and get started," Caleb said.

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"This is not a good challenge for me. Physical strength is not my strong suit, and touching people…" she shudders. "Let's just say I'm glad I'm sitting out."

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"You may think I'm sitting out because of the unsanitary challenge, which is… partially true. But mostly- and I just realized this- I'm the physically weakest member of the team. Hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me later in the game."

* * *

"We decided to go alphabetically, so up first we have… for the Dastardly Dragonflies, Cole!"

Cole waved meekly.

"For the Terrible Tarantulas, Alexei!"

Alexei smiled broadly and cracked his neck.

"And for the Wicked Wasps, Ambrose!"

Ambrose made no emotions, just staring at his opponents.

"Ready?" Rachel asked.

...

...

...

...

...

"Go!"

Alexei jogged forward to the middle of the ring, situating himself between Cole and Ambrose. Cole awkwardly shuffled forward, not really sure what to do. Ambrose took a single step forward but hung back.

"Sometime today!" Koh called from below.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this…" Cole gave Alexei a light shove, which the hiker returned.

"I'm not hitting anyone who doesn't hit me first!" Alexei said.

Ambrose just shrugged.

"This is so boring," Maddie complained. "Can I light-"

"No," Harald, Diego, and Zaheen said at the same time.

"Er…" Cole reached down for Alexei's legs in an attempt to lift him. Alexei step back quickly and Cole, still leaning down, tried to reach forward but fell over.

"Just roll him off!" Koh shouted.

Alexei gave Cole a light push, which Cole should have been able to resist. However, as Cle tried to stand he tripped over his own feet and toppled backwards into the water.

"Finally," Ambrose breathed. Then, with a lunging movement, he jumped forward and elbowed Alexei in the ribcage. Alexei buckled down, surprise evident in his eyes, and Ambrose easily shoved him off the side of the ring, sending the hiker sprawling into the lake below.

"And that's the game!" Rachel cheered.

"Looks like the first win goes to the Wicked Wasps, who are now at two points," Caleb said as Ambrose climbed down. "Second is the Terrible Tarantulas at one and the Dastardly Dragonflies have a big goose egg. Are they really going to lose two in a row?"

"I hope not," Cole said quietly.

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Wow… done in by my biggest weakness. It's something straight out of a superhero comic, man. Like Superman or something. What was Superman's kryptonite, anyway? Gah, it's on the tip of my tongue… anyway, I hope the others can do better than I did."

* * *

Confessional: Alexei- Terrible Tarantulas

"Part of me wants to be mad at Ambrose, but the rational part of me knows he was just doing what he needed to in order to win. Something that apparently I couldn't do," he sighs. "Still my ribs are going to hurt for the next week."

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"My general plan was to stick around the back until one of the guys took the other out. I mean, it worked, but had I known that the others were going to fight like that, well," he chuckles. "Maybe I would've adjusted." He flexes his muscles experimentally. "After winning that, I feel, like, physically better."

* * *

"All right. Our next trio to take to the ring… for the Dastardly Dragonflies, Diego!"

"That's _El Zorro_ to you," Diego pointed his sword at Rachel.

"For the Terrible Tarantulas, Chloe!"

"Yep," Chloe simply said.

"And for the Wicked Wasps, Eloa!"

"Is anyone else concerned about the fact that he's got a sword?" Eloa pointed to Diego.

"Go!" Rachel said, ignoring her.

Diego grinned. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am-"

"Are you really going to monologue at every opportunity?" Chloe loudly interjected. "It was nice the first few times but it's starting to get repetitive. And I'm not even on your team."

"Perhaps I shall take you first," Diego raised his sword to Chloe's eye level.

"Because you'd totally threaten an innocent lady with impalement to win a challenge," Chloe crossed her arms.

"...Cripes," Diego muttered. He tossed his sword like a javelin onto a section of the beach where no one was standing. "Aren't you supposed to be the one who's scared of everything?"

"Just the rational things. Not impalement or heights," Chloe said firmly. She edged closer to Diego.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you," Diego chuckled darkly, looking at Eloa, who had been trying to sneak up on him. "I can take three men at once. Two little girls shouldn't be a problem."

"Sexist much?" Eloa snapped her fingers.

"Hey!" Caleb called from below. "If you don't start fighting, I have the jurisdiction to eliminate you on the spot!"

"Really?" Rachel said in a quieter voice.

"As far as they know," Caleb replied back with a half-smirk.

Nevertheless, at Caleb's insistence, Chloe got an idea. "Say cheese!" She held the camera which was normally slung around her neck and took a picture of Diego.

As the camera flashed, Diego took an involuntary step backward, shielding his eyes. Chloe ran forward and attempted to shove him. Eloa, getting with the idea, made for Diego as well.

Diego gasped with surprise as Eloa and Chloe slowly began to push him toward the edge of the water. Unsurprisingly, he found himself at the edge.

"Two little girls, huh?" Chloe said, mocking his earlier words.

Diego stopped pushing. His face contorted into a smile, and he suddenly jumped off the back of the platform. Chloe's momentum caused her to fall as well, while Eloa wisely shofted positions.

"I win?" Eloa looked around. "I win!"

"Not quite," a voice said.

Two gloved hands were hanging onto the edge of the platform. Diego hoisted himself up. "Checkmate."

Eloa was too shocked to move. With a spin move, Diego flung her off the boxing ring with force. She fell quickly.

"In a surprise victory, Diego gains two points for the Dragonflies," Caleb said. "Eloa gets second place with one point, and Chloe gets nothing."

Diego laughed "Never underestimate the power of-"

Pearl interrupted. "If you say _El Zorro_ one more time while I'm in the vicinity, I'm going to take that sword and cut off your-"

"As the scores currently stand, the Wicked Wasps are winning with three points, followed by the Dastardly Dragonflies with two, with the Terrible Tarantulas trailing at only a single point," Rachel said. "Will our next competition turn things around? Let's see."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"Huh. And I thought the camera trick would be a good one, too…" she holds up her camera, which is dripping wet. "I'm lucky this thing is waterproof- it helps me capture underwater phenomena. I have this entire folder of my attempts to view the Ogopogo."

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

She shivers. "I really don't like the climate here. I thought it would be warmer than Brazil, but once you get wet it really keeps you chilly. I wish I had worn better clothes for this."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Finally, a victory! A small one, but I'll take it. They should know better than to mess with-"

"I MEAN IT!" Pearl shouts from outside the confessional.

"...Me. To mess with me," Diego hastily says.

* * *

"Round three is about to begin! Representing the Dastardly Dragonflies, we have Harald!"

"An honour and a pleasure," Harald smugly said. "For you, that is."

"Representing the Terrible Tarantulas, Joshua!"

"All right! The King is in the house!" Joshua kissed his bicep.

"And representing the Wicked Wasps, Giuseppe!"

Giuseppe perked up when he heard his name. He gestured around him with a shrug.

"And begin!"

Joshua wasted no time in charging at Giuseppe. The Italian blinked put assumed a defensive position. When Joshua met him, Giuseppe was successfully able to hold him off without losing much ground.

"Hey!" Joshua complained as he quickly pranced backward. Then he turned to Harald. "I guess I'll get you first!... Once I recover."

As he panted, Marisa said, "Sweden versus Italy versus Germany. It's like the Olympics," earning her a few chuckles.

"Aha!" Joshua began to charge Harald.

Harald did not move an inch, standing stock-still. "Try me."

Once Joshua was in range, Harald reached out for his arm, meaning to judo-flip him off the edge.

His strategy was sound, but his timing was critically off. All Harald did was pull Joshua slightly closer to him, and Joshua plowed into the acrobat. Harald took a step back with a grin that quickly turned to a scowl when he realized that there was no platform behind him.

The acrobat was the first to fall.

Giuseppe, capitalizing on Joshua's distractedness, ran over with a shout.

"The King says naw!" Joshua leapt to the side.

" _Sono davvero arrabbiato che nessuno mi capisca!_ " Giuseppe yelled a battle cry.

They intercepted each other in the middle of the platform and pushed at each other like rams locking horns.

"Ack!" Giuseppe suddenly ducked, sending Joshua toppling over him. They latched onto each other.

"Hey! Keep it PG!" Caleb snapped. Still, Joshua and Giuseppe rolled across the platform until they were at the edge.

Joshua and Giuseppe jumped up once more. This time, when Giuseppe ducked, Joshua shuffled to the side and kicked him in… a sensitive area.

" _Dio mio!_ " Giuseppe wailed. As every male cringed, Joshua effortlessly pushed the Italian off the side of the platform.

"Despite a major bro code violation," Caleb said, "Joshua wins."

Giuseppe began to sob, curled in the fetal position with his head just above the water.

"That means our points are now at…" Rachel pulled out a notepad. "Four for the Wicked Wasps, three for the Terrible Tarantulas, and two for the Dastardly Dragonflies, who are once again in last."

"Of course," Diego sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Ho hum. I suppose I wasn't ready to show them my true potential yet. Obviously I'm going to hold back in challenges until I'm no longer in control, in which case I'll fight with unmatched intensity. But whether we win or lose makes no difference to me." He growls. "I mean it!"

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

He rants angrily. " _Andò per le noci! I kiwi! I gioielli di famiglia! Non lo fai! Nessuno lo fa! È vergognoso e disonorevole! Spero che cada in una fossa di fiamme e formiche rosse! E pesce piranha! E una volta che lo hanno tirato fuori, ricade dentro! Non avrò mai figli! Sono stato derubato delle generazioni future! E tutto a causa di questo, nessun buon svedese!"_ He smacks his fist on his hand.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"I've gotten two of our team's three points so far. If I weren't so humble, I might say that my back hurt from carrying my team this far. Like, without me, we wouldn't have won. Like, i am the sole reason for our success. But I am a humble person, so I won't say any of those things."

* * *

"This is our second to last matchup, everyone!" Rachel said. "If the Wicked Wasps or the Terrible Tarantulas win, they win the challenge! Let's see who's up!"

Suddenly, her watch beeped. "Caleb, take over."

Caleb shouted and his voice lost its usual nasal tone. Sounding like an old-timey sports announcer, he said, "Our next matchup features three dynamic teens, all vying for one spot! In the red corner, it's the hotshot with an explosive personality! That's right, representing the Dastardly Dragonflies, iiiiiit's Maddie!"

"Maddie likes Maddie!" Maddie said as she patted herself on the back.

"In the blue corner, she's the take-no-prisoners punk with a score to settle! Armed and dangerous, representing the Terrible Tarantulas, iiiiiit's Koh!"

"{CENSORED} yeah it is," Koh said smugly.

"And in the… other corner," Caleb shrugged. "She's cool and calculating! She's calm and collected! With an encyclopedia of knowledge that she can use to her advantage, for the Wicked Wasps, iiiiiiit's Marisa!"

Marisa smiled but focused on her task not long after.

"Ready? Fight!"

As they faced off, Rachel stood. "That was really good, Caleb."

"Thanks," Caleb said levelly.

"Do you want to do the last one?" Rachel asked.

"Nope."

"All right," the health nut replied.

On the platform, Maddie, Koh, and Marisa were circling each other.

"Use your knife!" Logan called.

"Oh. Right," Koh realized. She grabbed her hunting knife and unsheathed it.

"I see your knife and I raise you FIRE!" Maddie maniacally laughed. She pulled out, instead of a lighter, a miniature flamethrower. "Hahahahaha!"

"Where do you even keep that?" Koh spluttered.

"Hahahaha…" Maddie continued to laugh.

Marisa gulped. She looked back at her team. "Would anyone blame me if I jumped?"

"Nope," Pearl said from the bench.

Marisa shrugged and cannonballed off the edge of the platform.

"Marisa's out, but I don't really blame her," Rachel said. "Meanwhile, Koh and Maddie are continuing the age-old battle of knives versus flamethrowers! Who will win, and are we liable to get sued if one of them seriously injures another?"

"We're just the interns," Caleb chuckled darkly.

Koh and Maddie stared each other down.

"Are you really going to stab me?" Maddie asked with a wide-eyed look.

"Are you really going to set me on fire?" Koh shot back.

They kept staring at each other.

"...We'll stand here for hours if we don't do something," Koh said after a few minutes.

"Yeeeeeeeep," Maddie agreed.

Koh grumbled. "Why don't we just put down our stuff and fight like real women?"

"Yeeeeeeeep," Maddie agreed.

"All right," Koh nodded. She started to crouch and put her knife down. Then she stood. "If you're punking me, I swear, I'm going to kill you."

"Yeeeeeeeep," Maddie agreed.

Koh dropped her knife.

"You thought wrong!" Maddie cackled. Her flamethrower flared to life and she started chasing Koh.

Koh's eyes widened. "Crap."

Maddie chased her right off the edge.

"And there you have it!" Rachel said. "Maddie wins with some verbal trickery! Koh comes in second and Marisa takes third. Our points are…"

She blinked. "Oh! Every team is now tied with four points heading into the last round! The final score will be determined next round, and it'll be a fight to the finish!"

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"I was put with the craziest people on the show. Can you blame me for jumping? I sure can't."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"That piece of {CENSORED)! Ugh! I should know better than to trust a blue-haired pyromaniac. This is where trying to be diplomatic gets me. Right into second place! This is why I cut people first, ask questions later."

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

She plays with her lighter. "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…"

* * *

"All right. Because we're all tied at four, whoever wins will take the tarp, and whoever loses goes to elimination," Caleb said.

"Hold on," Maggie said. "What happens if the Tarantulas get last and one of the other teams gets second to last, thus putting both teams at one point shy of their goal?"

"Whoever gets more points wins," Caleb replied. Maggie nodded and continued to watch.

"So, in our last match, for the win… for the Dragonflies, Zaheen!"

"Naturally," Zaheen smirked.

"For the Tarantulas, Logan!"

Logan nodded once.

"And for the Wasps…"

"Oh no," Pearl realized.

"...Robin!" Rachel finished.

"Ready for action!" Robin said, his chest puffed out.

Rachel looked at the teens. "Ready? This is for all the marbles… go!"

Logan turned around and started to climb down the ladder.

"What are you doing?" Joshua called out.

"They said anything goes," Logan shrugged. "This is included, or am I mistaken?"

"What's to stop me from climbing down after you?" Zaheen asked as she stared at the ladder.

"Perhaps the fact that Robin will push you off the moment you attempt to climb down, just like you will he?" Logan idly asked. "I only need to outlast one of you, after all."

"I guess the Dragonflies will be losing two in a row, then," Robin cracked his knuckles.

"Can you not do that? It's a terrible habit," Zaheen snapped. As Robin took a step forward, she took a step back.

"Is it?" Robin wondered.

"It may lead to arthritis," Logan shouted.

"I thought they disproved those rumours," Robin turned to shout.

"It's news to me, then," Logan said.

"Hey! Focus!" Pearl interrupted. Robin snapped his head back to see Zaheen had been sneaking up on him. She sighed and trotted back.

"It's actually kind of hard to hang onto this ladder. The rungs are spaced far apart," Logan complained. "Could you keep fighting?"

"Yes," Zaheen agreed. "Robin, do not look at my left hand."

Robin looked at her left hand. Zaheen poked him in the eyes with her right and used her shoulder to push her back a few paces.

"That was too easy," Zaheen droned.

Robin suddenly pushed her back with a great heave. She stumbled and fell backward, landing on her hands.

"Ow!" Zaheen yelped. She shook her hands as if she were drying them. "Outright injuring another contestant?"

"I swear, it was not my intention!" Robin shouted. "Rather, I meant to- hey!"

Zaheen suddenly threw down several smoke pellets, allowing herself to be clouded by the smoke.

"Hey!" Robin repeated. "Where did you go?"

He was struck in the face and gasped. Zaheen appeared, throwing several random objects at him and advancing.

"That is most unwelcome!" Robin almost took a step backward but realized that he was right on the edge.

"I've got you right where I want you," Zaheen grinned.

"What's going on?" Logan called up.

Robin frowned. Then shouted, warlike, and charged at Zaheen. Then...

...

...

...

...

...

….he stopped in his tracks as he and Zaheen heard Logan shout, "Hand cramp!" followed by a splash.

"Terrible Tarantulas lose!" Rachel said. "Thanks to some unfortunate timing on Logan's part."

"Because I totally intentionally got a hand cramp," Logan muttered.

Zaheen viewed him. "Of all the possible scenarios, I didn't think-"

"Ha!" Robin threw her off the side of the platform.

"And the Dragonflies take second, meaning that the Wicked Wasps win!" Rachel declared as Robin whooped.

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

He laughs. "Do you really think I lost that by accident? No, it was quite intentional. Though I enjoy not having to make a choice, I think it behooves me to pick a side before the sides come together. So throwing a challenge was necessary."

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm fine with second place. What I am most decidedly not fine about is Robin's possible act of injury to my hands. It seems minor, but if he's the reason my sleight of hand skills deteriorate, he'll pay."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"I think I really proved my leadership skills today. Hopefully the others will be more inclined to keep me around. Heaven knows I need every chance I can get. Still… I can rest easy knowing that I won't go home tonight."

* * *

"Wicked Wasps, congratulations on your first place win," Caleb said. "In addition to immunity, a tarp will be ready for you at camp."

They departed with smiles.

"Dastardly Dragonflies, it may not be first place, but you're safe too," Rachel said. "Get some rest."

They, too, departed.

"Terrible Tarantulas, this challenge didn't go your way. Now, you'll have to vote someone off. Freddy will see you at elimination tonight," Caleb said. "Make sure you make the right choice."

The six left the scene.

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"Now I have a choice to make. Do I stay loyal to Alexei, who may or may not have a crush on me, and vote for Koh? Or do I take my chance to get rid of Maggie when I can? I don't know yet."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"My team is full of losers! Not one of them won their match other than me! I'll be glad to see one of them go. But… I still don't know if I should tell Logan about the blindside on Koh. Maybe I'll flip a coin! Yes!" He grins, then frowns. "Of course, there aren't any coins on an island…"

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"Chloe or Maggie? I don't give a rat's banana myself, but Logan's probably going to overanalyze it. Maybe I'll try to help him out, so he isn't a pain for the next eternity and a half."

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas- Day 3**_

"Sucks that we lost," Alexei frowned.

"Yeah. Because of your hand cramp," Chloe accused Logan. "You couldn't hold on with your other hand?"

"I was reaching above my head to begin with," Logan explained. "You lose blood flow really fast."

"Hm," Chloe said, unconvinced.

"You're one to talk when you take into account that you got just as many points as Logan," Maggie interrupted. "Which is zero, if you doubt that math exists."

"Stop questioning my beliefs!" Chloe shouted.

"Your beliefs are inane and illogical!" Maggie shot back. "You're a detriment of there ever was one!"

"Says the girl who didn't even compete in the challenge."

"I despise coming into physical contact with people," Maggie glared.

"And my beliefs are stupid?" Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"That's not a belief, that's a fear. You know what those are, Miss 'I only fear the logical things?'"

"Girls!" Alexei stood between them. "Stop fighting, please! We have to vote together, remember-" he clapped a hand over his mouth.

"And who would that be for?" Logan sasked.

"Yeah," Koh glared. "Who?"

Alexei looked at Koh with fear.

"It's me?" Koh screamed. "What the- Why the-" I'm going to murder you!" Koh pulled out her knife.

"You're going to do no such thing," Logan said firmly. "Unless you want to automatically lose this game and the million dollars and go to jail for life."

Koh spat at Alexei but didn't approach the quivering boy.

"...I'll see you at elimination," Koh snapped. "I'm going into the woods until then. Anyone who follows me… well, don't follow me."

She stormed off.

"Look what you did!" Maggie and Chloe suddenly shouted at each other.

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"Chloe's so annoying it physically pains me. I don't think I want to play this game with her anymore. In fact, I'm certain of it."

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"So, turns out my two concrete sides aren't as concrete as I thought. I may have to adjust the plan, but how? I'll figure something out."

* * *

Confessional: Alexei- Terrible Tarantulas

He shudders and gulps. "That went well," he says with a nervous laugh that grows into a sob.

* * *

 _ **Veloor Island- Terrible Tarantulas**_

Alexei, Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie slowly emerged into the elimination hut.

"Hey, everyone!" Frederick greeted. "I'm in a good mood because I'm having a great hair day. Let's do this!"

Everyone groaned.

Frederick pouted. "Come on, guys. I have to ask you some questions!"

"With respect, Fred," Logan said, "we've all just had a really long day. We just got beat up in the challenge and tensions at camp could be cut with a knife. Can you just explain what we have to do?"

"Aye," Joshua agreed.

Frederick shrugged. "It's not like I have a pay check that'll be cut if I don't follow regulation."

So, he said, "Once I say so, you'll go to that voting guy," he pointed, "In alphabetical order and write down the name of the person you want to see leave. Then I'll read all six votes and whoever had the most votes will be eliminated. Unless they have an idol," Frederick added.

"There's idols?" Koh asked.

"Yeah," Frederick agreed. "I'm sure you'd have figured it out by yourselves, but now that you're here we want you to find them before there's no one left in the team."

"Your confidence inspires me," Maggie droned.

Frederick sighed. "All right. Let's go vote. Alexei, you're up."

Alexei stood and went to the hut.

* * *

Voting: Alexei

"I'm voting for Koh," he says. "You really cemented your position here after what happened at camp. Sorry things couldn't have worked better."

* * *

Voting: Chloe

"You know what? Screw Alexei's plan! I can get Koh out later, but Maggie has to go! And hopefully some other people agree."

* * *

Voting: Joshua

"Well, I made my choice. It's not up to me anymore."

* * *

Voting: Koh

"Alexei has the nerve to blame me for wanting to vote me out. I'm no math nerd but that doesn't make the slightest amount of sense! I talked to Logan and he thinks it's smart, so I vote Alexei."

* * *

Voting: Logan

"All the choices. Who do I vote for? Will he or she go home? It's all very exciting if I do say so myself."

* * *

Voting: Maggie

"You would not believe how incredibly I want to eliminate Chloe right now. Is it worth risking my chances in the game, though? Do I expect anyone other than Alexei to go through with the blindside?"

* * *

Once Maggie returned, Frederick stood. "I'll go tally the votes."

There was a terse silence.

"...Anyone play Cheese Brawlers?" Joshua asked.

"Oh yeah, all the time!" Alexei agreed.

Frederick returned. "Without further adieu, the following competitors are safe with no votes cast against them."

"Chloe."

"Logan."

"Joshua."

The trio looked relieved.

"Wait, that's it?" Maggie said. She looked over at Chloe. "Come on, Chloe."

Frederick shrugged. " _C'est la vie_. Now, with one vote cast against them..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Maggie is safe."

Maggie still glared at Chloe.

Alexei looked at Koh. "Um... sorry?"

Koh silenced him with a glare.

"Alexei, Koh, one of you is safe. And with two votes against..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Alexei, that person is you. Koh, with three votes to your name, you're out."

Alexei smiled, relieved.

"{CENSORED}!" Koh barked.

"What just happened?" Logan asked, wide-eyed.

Koh turned to Joshua. "You little twerp! You betrayed me! I'll kill you! I'll vote your sorry butt out!"

"How will you do that?" Joshua asked smugly.

Koh grinned. "Simple. I'm still in the game."

To the surprise of everyone, she pulled out a hidden immunity idol identical to Pearl's.

"This allows all votes against me to not count," Koh said sinisterly. She tossed it to Frederick. "Check it out."

Frederick viewed the idol carefully.

Koh frowned. "It is real, yeah?"

Frederick opened his mouth. "This…"

...

...

...

...

...

"... _Is_ a hidden immunity idol. Therefore, all three votes cast against Koh no longer count."

"But that means..." Chloe cast a glance at Alexei, who was sitting open-mouthed.

"That's right," Frederick agreed.

Alexei shook his head in disbelief. "No… not already…"

"Alexei, unless you have another idol, you are the second person voted out of Total Drama: The K'wala Islands."

Alexei stood. "God…"

He turned to Chloe and Maggie. "Girls… please stop fighting. I want to cheer for both of you in the finale, I guess…"

He was very pale. "Um… bye…"

Maggie stood. "Alexei, wait."

But the hiker was already gone, following Frederick's outstretched hand.

"Well, that was a shocking ceremony," Frederick commented. "Who'd have expected an idol to be played so early? Anyway, you five can go to camp and rest. Make sure you're ready for the next challenge. Night."

He waved as the remaining Terrible Tarantulas- Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie- left.

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"Yeah, I found an idol," she smirks triumphantly. "After I stormed off into the woods it practically appeared right in front of my nose. Good thing, too, because Logan's indecisiveness almost let me go home. Now I really have to do something to make sure I'm back on top… and destroy Joshua in the process."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

He gulps. "I believe The King has made a large mistake."

* * *

Chris now stood outside the hut. He was holding another photograph- Alexei- in a picture frame. The host hung up the picture beside Olivia. Under the photo of the hiker it read, _Alexei- 17th._

"Three days in and we're down two contestants," Chris said. "I don't think anyone thought it would be Alexei here tonight."

He stepped forward. "Will the remaining four idols- including Pearl's- cause as much tension as this one did? Will Maddie and Cole succeed in the weirdest alliance of the season? Will Maggie and Chloe work things out? Hey, I doubt it! But find out next time on…"

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"

* * *

Final Confessional: Alexei- 17th Place

"Wow… I thought everyone liked me, but… eliminated first on my team? I don't even know anymore…" he sighs. Then he forces a smile. "At least I get to meet all the eliminated people! That'll be fun!"

* * *

 _The Votes:_

 _Alexei voted for… Koh (Nullified)_

 _Chloe voted for… Maggie_

 _Joshua voted for… Koh (Nullified)_

 _Koh voted for… Alexei_

 _Logan voted for… Alexei_

 _Maggie voted for… Koh (Nullified)_

 _Final Tally: 3 votes for Koh (Nullified), 2 votes for Alexei, 1 vote for Maggie._

* * *

 **Alexei always felt like an early boot to me. I'll never go so far as to say he had no potential (everyone has potential), however I had accepted him with the intention of being a likeable early elimination. I think I succeeded, but I'll let you be the judge of that.**

 **Turns out Pahkitew Island is going to be the last Total Drama competition show, which means this fandom has officially started to die. Hooray! Fear not, I'll stick out my stories to completion.**

 **The challenge was directly taken from the third chapter of the original series but modified for three teams.**

 **The interns, by the way, will be cycling through the challenge/elimination hosting. For example, next episode Rachel and Frederick are running the challenge.**

 **Anyone who pays attention to that kind of stuff, Alexei and Olivia both have six letters in their name, with a consonant as the second and fourth letters and vowels for all the rest. Also, the third and fifth letters are the same. So take that how you will.**

 **Not much else to say so let's take a look at…**

* * *

 ** _Thor's Prediction Palooza!_**

 _Congratulations to **Candela Monsoon** for correctly guessing that Alexei would be eliminated! The scores will be updated at the beginning of the next chapter._

 _Once again, it's time to pick new people. You can choose all the same, or all different, or some of both (and this is for all three teams, not just the one that went to elimination)._

 ** _The Teams:_**

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:** Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Zaheen_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:** Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:** Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

* * *

 ** _Eliminated Contestants:_**

 **17th- Alexei: The Optimistic Hiker**

 **18th- Olivia: The Silent Doll**

 **Takk skal du ha!**


	5. Ep4: I Get Batman Privileges

**Guess who's back? If you guessed anyone other than me, you'd be wrong!**

 **Ayy, three days ahead of schedule. This'll probably be the last time I post twice in the same month.**

 **Another 16000 word chapter, this might be my niche.**

 **I actually really dislike this chapter. I don't know why, but I guess I'll know if you guys agree soon.**

 **Not much else, so let's move on over to the reviews!**

 **Zevoros:** I'm glad to surprise you again. I mean, obviously if I did the unexpected every time, the unexpected would become the expected and you'd expect the expected unexpected and thus unexpect the expected. However, I don't think that'll be the case. Sorry that you liked Alexei. I did too, but he was also a good candidate for an early boot.

 **DinoKea:** I think I might have been a bit unfair with establishing the 'guess who will be eliminated' thing before dropping two surprises in a row. Will the reigning champion regain the crown? We'll see…

 **Taylorfang9:** I will definitely take 'pretty good'! Joshua definitely has some 'splainin' to do. I might want to mention that you only have to put one person from each team (but, I mean, listing the entirety of the Terrible Tarantulas would definitely be a strategy I would use).

 **AZW330:** I'm happy to catch you off guard again. Like I mentioned with Zev, I'm not going to have a shocker every time or else the novelty sort of wears off. However, I'm happy that Alexi's elimination is being well-received. I like to think I'm skilled in the social interactions as opposed to challenges/eliminations, but I'll let the reviewers be the judge of that.

 **Cndl Mnsn:** Congratulations! Maybe left-handedness works for you. Or maybe it doesn't? I think a Curse remake would be really fun (especially since there were a few characters that I want to redo) but I don't know if I'll be able to. For now, enjoy this!

 **ShadowJCreed:** Eyyy, a Survivor fan! Nice! What's also nice is that you're reviewing despite not having anyone compete. And I really enjoy doing the pre-challenge interactions (I have this entire flowchart for every chapter), so I'm glad you like those.

 **Beastboycoolman15:** Thanks! I know most people liked Alexei, but I'm glad you understand his elimination. I'm happy you like Chloe, Maggie, and Eloa!

 **Mistress Mysterious:** I guess Koh going home so early wasn't in the cards (or maybe it is and she goes home tonight). Nevertheless I'm glad you like the story!

 **Obikinoah:** Your favourites are all fun characters to write. Well, I mean, Joshua's Swedish so technically it was a show of Swedism (Swedishism?). I like your lists but just so you know, I'm only taking the person listed the lowest from each team for the palooza. Thanks for the praise and I'm glad to hear that Eloa's being portrayed well!

 **JackHammerMan:** You can speak for pretty much all the reviewers, I think. It's the same point I made with Zev and AZW, I'm definitely not going to shock viewers with every episode but I don't think I'll need to.

 **GirlPower54:** Thanks!

 **Apenad4LIFE:** That's the beauty of the immunity idol. It adds an extra layer of uncertainty, like 'Who has it? How will they use it? Who will go home because of it?' The intro is always a pleasure to write for me. I think most chapters will be pretty interaction-heavy as opposed to challenges, but there's definitely a couple of long challenges I have planned. An entire alliance bent against your OC is never good. But then, anything could happen. I think one side-effect of long periods of interaction is that the targets are always shifting. I definitely don't mind long reviews. In fact, I really enjoy them.

 **Omakin:** Taking out two people who were written to go far was my master plan. I think of 'The Winners Illusion' as you like to call it a lot when formulating plots. Everyone wants to win and thus are working towards winning. I've never called it The Winners Illusion but I'm stealing that from you now. So ha. You think a tie is coming, eh? Well, you'll see. And (I'm being very careful with my wording here) IF I were to do a Curse remake and IF Arianna were in it, I believe I could write her better. But it's still very up in the air.

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_ _Guests can do this too!_

 _This episode's predictions are as follows (TR stands for Thor-Randomized, meaning you selected more than one so I picked it using a list randomizer):_

 _ **Zevoros:**_ _Zaheen, Koh, Giuseppe_

 _ **DinoKea:**_ _Zaheen, Chloe, Marisa_

 _ **Taylorfang9:**_ _Harald_ _(TR), Joshua (TR) (No Wicked Wasps prediction)_

 _ **AZW330:**_ _Maddie, Koh, Marisa_

 _ **Candela Monsoon:**_ _Maddie, Chloe, Robin_

 _ **ShadowJCreed:**_ _Maddie, Joshua, Marisa_

 _ **Beastboycoolman15:**_ _Maddie, Joshua, Eloa_

 _ **Mistress Mysterious:**_ _Maddie, Joshua, Robin_

 _ **Obikinoah:**_ _Maddie, Koh, Marisa_

 _ **JackHammerMan:**_ _Maddie, Joshua, Giuseppe_

 _ **GirlPower54:**_ _Maddie, Joshua, Pearl_

 _ **Apenad4LIFE:**_ _Maddie, Maggie, Robin_

 _ **Omakin:**_ _Zaheen, Joshua, Marisa_

 _The Standings:_

 _ **1st- Candela Monsoon:**_ _1 point_

 _ **2nd- GirlPower54:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- AZW330:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Zevoros:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Mistress Mysterious:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Taylorfang9:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Aleister Bloodrive VII:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- DinoKea:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- JackHammerMan:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Apenad4LIFE:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Beastboycoolman15:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Obikinoah:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- Omakin:**_ _0 points_

 _ **2nd- ShadowJCreed:**_ _0 points_

 _The Teams:_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:** Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, Zaheen_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:** Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:** Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

 _ **Eliminated:** Olivia, Alexei_

* * *

 **Ready… set…**

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama: The K'wala Islands," Chris narrated. "After Olivia was eliminated, Cole felt betrayed by Diego, vowing to take him out by joining forces with Maddie. Meanwhile, Zaheen found herself backed into a corner when Diego officially joined her alliance, causing her to be outnumbered by him and Harald in decision-making processes.

"Marisa formed a majority alliance with Eloa, Pearl, and Giuseppe," Chris continued. "However, with Ambrose as the target, neither Eloa nor Pearl really wanted to go along with it. Not to mention, Giuseppe doesn't have a clue what was going on, which isn't surprising. Also, Pearl found an immunity idol. Good for her.

"On the Terrible Tarantulas, Logan decided to play passively for the time being. It backfired, however, when Alexei decided to make an alliance between rivals Maggie and Chloe and Joshua, who was already aligned with Logan," he chuckles. "With Koh as the target, Joshua had to decide whether to reveal this alliance or not.

"In the challenge, teams had to send individual members to fight it out on the K'wala Boxing Ring, which is definitely legal," he hesitated. "Despite what appeared to be an easy victory, Logan threw the challenge, sending the Terrible Tarantulas to elimination.

"Back at camp, Koh flipped out at Alexei when he let slip that she was the target, and Chloe and Maggie had yet another feud. When elimination time came, Joshua ultimately decided to stick to Alexei's alliance and vote for Koh, who would have gone home had she not found an idol. Alexei had the second-most votes against him, which meant that the hiker met his downfall, placing seventeenth.

"Sixteen remain!" Chris exclaimed. "Who will be eliminated tonight? Find out on…

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"

 **Theme: I Wanna Be Famous (2007)**

 _-Opening Music-_

The camera begins at a shot of The K'wala Islands from afar. The camera zooms in straight into the forest, where, as foliage is seen being moved aside, Chris relaxes in a lawn chair. Caleb is fanning him with an oversized palm frond, Rachel is peeling grapes, and Frederick is attempting to hastily adjust his hair with a handheld mirror.

 _-Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine-_

As the camera rushes past Chris, Marisa and Giuseppe can be seen, sitting on a fallen tree. Marisa is patiently talking to Giuseppe as he studies from his dictionary. Giuseppe blushes slightly, and when he isn't looking, Marisa checks off a box on a clipboard.

 _-You guys are on my mind-_

In another portion of the forest, Diego fights off invisible enemies with his sword. He laughs triumphantly. Then, he spots something and promptly runs away, terrified. The 'something' is revealed to be Maddie as she runs on-screen with a lighter in her hand. She spots the camera, waves, and takes a bite of chocolate.

 _-You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see-_

The scene changes. Now, Joshua is bragging to Logan as he walks on some sort of boardwalk. Logan rolls his eyes, unamused. Suddenly, Joshua disappears from the screen as the shot pulls out to show that he has fallen off the Lake Gellafiche Boxing Ring. Logan chuckles. Then, Koh jumps at him with her knife in hand. Logan jumps up and consequently falls off the ring, causing Koh to cackle.

 _-I wanna be famous-_

Below them, Robin and Pearl are arguing as they walk along the coast. Both are getting increasingly frustrated. Then, bird poop falls onto Pearl and she screams and runs off, leaving Robin to shrug.

 _-I wanna live close to the Sun-_

The camera follows Pearl for a few moments, then stops on Chloe and Alexei, who are chatting and laughing. Then, Chloe spots something. Crouching down, she pulls out her magnifying glass, which glints in the sunlight.

 _-So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won-_

Maggie sees the duo and starts to walk over. Chloe sees her, stands, and glares, while Alexei stands in between the girls with an exasperated sigh.

 _-Everything to prove, nothing in my way-_

The scene changes again. Now, Zaheen is performing magic for Harald. The acrobat laughs good naturedly as Zaheen pulls out a dove from nowhere. Zaheen puts on a fake smile, which evaporated as soon as Harald isn't looking.

 _-I'll get there one day-_

Ambrose, a few paces away, is using an axe to split wood. Eloa watches him contentedly, when Ambrose removes his shirt to use it as a facecloth, Eloa faints.

 _-'Cause I wanna be famous-_

Cole and Olivia are walking down a path, signing to each other. Olivia silently laughs and Cole blushes. Then, the klutz trips, sending them both down a hill and out of sight.

 _-Na na nana nana, na nana nana na, na nana nana na!-_

The scene returns to Chris. Suddenly, all three interns look at each other, shrug, and start hitting Chris with a palm frond, grapes, and a mirror. The host raises his hands and falls off his chair.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

The eighteen contestants are now running some sort of obstacle course-styled race, where they must jump over a log. Most of them complete it, with Ambrose expertly vaulting over it, Chloe struggling due to her height, Cole tripping and rolling under, and Zaheen merely walking around it.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

They then must climb a wall with ropes attached. Giuseppe helps Marisa up, Koh pushes Alexei aside to get at the wall first, Harald leaps up with surprising speed, and Eloa scampers up.

 _-Doo doodoo doo doodoo…-_

Finally, the contestants are sitting around the campfire, the boys on the right bench and the girls on the left. Cole and Olivia, who sit on the ends, reach out to hold hands, but Maddie jumps up and, using a fiery stick, wards Cole off. She tosses the stick into the campfire as the camera pans upward to show the title- Total Drama: The K'wala Islands.

 _-End of Theme-_

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas- Night 3**_

Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie made their way back to camp.

Joshua slowly turned to Koh. "So, about what happened back there-"

"You're dead, Sweden!" Koh suddenly shouted. She suddenly sprang forward until her face was less than an inch away from his. "You hear me? I'm going to vote your scrawny butt out of here the instant I get the opportunity! So sleep with one eye open."

"At least she's not trying to stab him like with Alexei," Maggie muttered.

"You're not off the hook either, statue," Koh growed at her. "You might not have betrayed me, but you still voted for me. After Joshua, you're next."

"While you go threaten everyone further than you already have," Logan drawled, "I'm going to collect some fronds for the shelter because, as the interns said, it's going to rain."

"I'll come with you!" Joshua yelped.

Logan shrugged, and the boys left.

The camera followed them as Joshua kept looking behind him with fear.

"She's not going to follow you," Logan said as he attempted to rip a palm frond off its tree.

"You have to help me vote her out!" Joshua begged.

"After betraying me like that?" Logan faced Joshua. "Give me a good reason."

"I swear, I'm loyal to you," Joshua said. "Getting Koh out seemed like a good idea at the time. We didn't know she had an idol!"

Logan just stared at the Swede.

Joshua began to sweat. "Seriously, I can break off the alliance with Chloe and Maggie. I'll do anything if you can find a way to vote Koh out!"

"Why don't you go ask your new alliance to vote for her?" Logan said with a raised eyebrow.

Joshua paused. "...That's not a bad idea. Maybe I will."

He started to turn around, but Logan shouted, "Wait!"

"I can help you get rid of Koh and keep you in the game, but it's a risky process," Logan said.

Joshua shrugged. "If it means Koh leaves, I'll do it."

Logan flashed him a thumbs up. "Good. Now, let's _actually_ get some fronds, and fast. I don't want to get caught in the rain."

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"I am _extremely_ annoyed at Joshua betraying my alliance as he did. Luckily, he's stupid enough to believe I'll still work with him. Which I will, but now that he's proven his lack of trustworthiness, when push comes to shove, he might find himself on a plane back to Sweden."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"Ha! Even though Koh didn't go home, now I'm in an alliance with everybody except her, meaning that she has to go next!" He leans back and puts his hands behind his head. "Looks like I'm running the game."

* * *

"I'm going to go kill an animal," Koh grunted. She walked away, leaving only Chloe and Maggie at the camp.

They stayed silent for a while, not wanting to make eye contact.

Finally, Chloe said, "So… who was expecting that?"

"Nobody except Koh, I presume," Maggie replied.

Chloe looked at the ground.

"We're going to have to work together to beat them," Maggie said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Chloe said.

"Logan and Koh are aligned. If I were Logan, I'd be trying to get Joshua on my side right about now," Maggie explained. "That's why we either have to keep Joshua on our side or convince the others to vote him out."

"Both options are workable. We could get Koh to vote for Joshua," Chloe said. "But…"

"But what?" Maggie asked.

"I… I don't want to work with you if you're going to keep criticizing me. You don't criticize, I don't know, Christians, right?" Chloe asked.

"Of course I don't. Even if I don't think their religion- or any religion, for that matter- is correct, their belief system doesn't involve me, nor is it mine to judge…" Maggie trailed off.

"It's the same thing. It might not be a religion, Maggie, but these _are_ my beliefs and I don't need you on my already long list of critics," Chloe sighed.

Maggie bit her lip. "Fine. I will attempt to stop lambasting your conspiracy theories if you stop flaunting them around when I'm in the area."

Chloe nodded. "That's fair enough." She smiled. Maggie didn't, but the corner of her normally neutral mouth twitched up a little. "So, what's our plan of action? Making sure Koh votes for Joshua without Logan interfering or making sure Joshua stays in the alliance… also without Logan interfering?"

"Why not both?" Maggie replied. "You will speak with Koh, and I with Joshua. We only need one of the plans to work, after all."

"And what about Logan?" Chloe asked.

"What about him? He doesn't have an ounce of self-confidence," Maggie said. "He's no villain, just somebody who happens to be on the opposite side of us. I wouldn't worry."

"That's what everyone says right before they're eaten by a yeti or the like," Chloe warned.

"What did I say about the theories?" Maggie snapped.

Chloe nodded. "Right."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"Maggie and I are putting our rivalry on hold so we can both make it to either a team switch or a merge without both of our eliminations. It's not what I expected, but I know that I'm fresh out of allies if Maggie doesn't get Joshua on our side."

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"Chloe will believe anything. It's actually rather sad. No, I have no intention of honouring the alliance we made. In fact, I plan on using Joshua to eliminate Chloe, not vice versa. Not only has she gotten on my nerves since day one, she voted against the one alliance which she was in. Of course, had she cast her vote for Koh, nothing would have changed, but I'd be foolish to align with a proven traitor."

* * *

Koh was sneaking through the forest with her knife in hand. "Come on. Gimme a rabbit or something."

She heard a rustle. "Gotcha." She turned in the direction of the noise. "Aha!" She jumped at the figure which emerged.

Unfortunately, that figure was another contestant.

"I'm sorry!" Logan jumped out of the way. "Wait, why are you attacking me with a knife?"

"Trying to find meat, {CENSORED}," Koh replied. "'I'm sorry?'"

"I don't know, it just slipped out. What's the logical thing to say when being attacked with a knife?"

"Don't kill me?" Koh suggested. "It's just like when you're being disemboweled before your mummification."

"That's… a barbaric simile," Logan shuddered.

"Wasn't Joshua with you? Now, there's a guy I wouldn't mind stabbing. Nearly sent me home," Koh grumbled.

"I sent him back with all the stuff we'd collected," Logan said. "And about your nearly being sent home…"

"What?" Koh raised an eyebrow.

"You can't just… go around scaring people and making rude jokes and being a jerk if you want to stay in the game," Logan explained.

"And why the {CENSORED} not?" Koh challenged.

"Because they'll vote you off the show. Like they literally almost did today," Logan said flatly. "No, you have to be a bit more… diplomatic."

"You mean dorky," Koh said.

Logan shook his head. "No, just polite. On the surface, anyway. That's how I continue to get pay raises and promotions under my boss. A little restraint goes a long way."

"I still don't get it."

"I'll give you an example," Logan said. "Joshua came straight to me after the elimination ceremony because he was scared of you. Why? Because I've been polite with him and he can trust me. It's been three days, and he trusts me."

Koh scowled. "You're back with Joshua?"

"As far as he knows," Logan said. "But not in reality."

Koh studied him. "I have to say, Logan, I'm impressed. Didn't think you had the guts to straight-up manipulate someone like that."

"Can you accept that you might have to tone everything down to stay in the game?" Logan ignored the compliment.

Koh gestured to her face. "I'm not losing the makeup. Or the knife."

"Nor do you have to. Just stop scaring people for your own amusement. And maybe tone down the foul language. I read that can have some psychological effects on how people perceive you."

Koh groaned. "Fine. But I'm not happy about this."

"Once you have a million dollars I'm sure that will change," Logan smirked. "Now, _politely,_ who should we vote for next?"

"Joshua, obviously," Koh said. "Why the {CENSORED}- excuse me, why would you bring that up? I thought it was obvious."

"Nothing is quite as obvious as it seems. Say Maggie and Chloe continue their rivalry and we're forced to decide between the two. What then?"

"That kind of thinking nearly sent me home," Koh warned. "You want me to change? Then listen up. Pick a plan and stick with it. If you try to keep every door open you'll just end up locked inside with a jammed finger."

Logan blinked. "That's… actually rather wise."

"Yeah, I'm doing Confucius {CENSORED} now!" Koh cackled. "Oh wait, no language. Um… yeah."

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"I don't have the guts to manipulate people, she says, as I actively manipulate her into doing my bidding. Koh may be a force, but she's an easily controlled one. Unfortunately, she does not seem to want to vote for anyone other than Joshua, and Joshua doesn't seem to want to vote for anyone other than Koh. Which means I'm going to have to, as Koh put it, close one of my doors very soon."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"I want it made very clear that Logan is not the boss of me. But for some reason he wants to help me go far in the game- maybe because I can help him or something, and I'd love a million dollars in my pocket by the end of this. So I'll go along with it."

* * *

"Joshua, there you are," Maggie said. Joshua was lugging palm fronds back into camp. "I'm glad to see you."

"Many women are," Joshua winked. "It's one of the perks of being The King. When did you fall for me? When we first met? Perhaps it was after my challenge success?"

"First of all, I'm asexual and aromantic," Maggie said. "Second, I can assure you with full certainty that if I were ever to fall for someone, it wouldn't be you."

"But you'll never know," Joshua winked again. "Come help me put these leaves on the roof."

"Very well," Maggie said, miffed. "While we work, I'd like for you to entertain this offer."

"Don't worry, I'm still good with you and Chloe. Koh's as good as gone," Joshua said.

"Actually, it was a similar, but different, offer," Maggie said. "You, Logan, and I get rid of Chloe first. After that, we can-"

"Nope," Joshua interrupted her.

"Nope?" Maggie repeated.

"Koh has to go home. This is nonnegoshabibble," Joshua shrugged. "Sorry. Mags."

"Don't call me Mags," Maggie said sternly. "And the word is nonnegotiable."

Joshua grabbed another frond of the ground and hoisted it up. "So we're in agreement?"

"No. What makes you so convinced that Koh has to go?" Maggie asked.

Joshua chuckled. "Uh, being threatened with a knife? Did you miss that?"

Maggie's voice gained a hard edge. "What happened to voting out the weakest link of a team?"

"Koh's not?" Joshua replied.

"Chloe has been the weakest contributor to the team's performance in both challenges. Her small stature and an intelligence that's average at best makes her a liability. Dead weight," Maggie explained. "If we vote out Koh, on the other hand, who's strong in challenges, we'll probably end up going back to elimination enough times that you won't still be there."

"Please. With my social strength I could be the last person on the team if I needed to be."

"And then if you lose again?" Maggie asked.

Joshua frowned. "Um… I wouldn't."

"You can't beat a team of five and a team of six on your own," Maggie stated.

The Swede's face scrunched up as he concentrated. "Well… I'll give it some thought."

"Good. Once you do, tell me," Maggie looked up as raindrops began to fall from the sky. "And look. It's starting to rain."

"Let's get these on fast!" Joshua started to work at a faster pace.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"Well, now I have to choose between winning challenges ad eliminating my rival. Maggie's smart, so she probably knows that getting rid of Koh first will make us lose every challenge. But then, eliminating Chloe will keep Koh around, and if we win enough challenges we could make the merge and she'd still be around." He groans. "Why do I have to make all the tough choices?"

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"I didn't anticipate Joshua being so stupid that it would be difficult for me to lie to him. It actually takes a surprising amount of forethought to lie to your advantage. Too little and they won't believe you. Too much and they become unpredictable. It's a very interesting thing to study, I will admit."

* * *

Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie were huddled under the fronds which Joshua and Maggie had laid, covering about one third of their shelter's roof. It was pouring.

"Who knew this would take so much work?" Logan said with chattering teeth. "And how many layers of fronds we needed to waterproof the thing."

"You don't get to talk. You're in the back," Maggie said. Her legs were being soaked by the torrent. "I may go numb."

"I once got bit by a snake and went numb in my arms for three days," Joshua supplied.

No response.

"Wait a sec, where's Chloe?" Koh suddenly asked.

"Is she gone? I didn't notice," Maggie drawled.

"I'll find her!" Joshua declared.

"Actually, Koh was just about to," Logan interrupted.

"I was?" Koh scoffed. Then she saw Logan mouth _Be diplomatic._ "Uh, right. I was."

She slid out of the shelter, immediately getting soaked by the rain. "Yo, Chloe!" She shouted as she walked off.

She continued on. "Hey! Conspiracy nut! Where you at?"

Eventually, she heard Chloe reply, "I'm right here!"

Koh shrugged and strolled over in the direction of her voice. When she arrived, she saw that Chloe was lying on the ground with her camera in front of her.

"Uh, what's up with… whatever you're doing?"

Chloe shrugged. "I thought I saw a flash of movement in that bush, so I wanted to investigate."

"You know it's raining, right?" Koh gestured all around her.

"So?" Chloe didn't take her eyes of her camera screen.

"How long-"

Chloe interrupted. "Two hours and eighteen minutes, by my reckoning."

"Two hours and eighteen minutes," Koh deadpanned.

"Yep."

"For a flash of movement."

"Yep."

Koh started to crack up. "Dude, that's so d…" she trailed off. "...dedicated. That's so dedicated."

Chloe looked surprised. "Uh, thanks. But I've probably been here long enough," she stood. "By the way, do you want to vote for Joshua if we lose?"

"Sure thing," Koh confirmed. "Anything else?"

Chloe now looked really surprised. "Not really… let's head back to camp."

The two girls returned, but before they could be seen by the rest of the team, Chloe grabbed Koh's arm.

"Hey, no touchy-feely," Koh yanked her arm away.

"You still want to vote for Joshua, right?" Chloe asked. "I'm just making sure."

"Yeah, I am," Koh darkened. "You're on board?"

"I am," Chloe agreed. "If he's a target who am I to argue?"

"Neat," Koh nodded. "...Well, I'm soaked."

"Me too," Chloe laughed. "Let's go back to the shelter before they send someone after us."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"...It {CENSORED} hurts to say it, but Loga was right. Being a bit nicer actually helped me get some friendship points with the conspiracy chick. Now we're voting off Joshua together. Not bad."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"I'm actually feeling kind of… confident. I mended things with Maggie and she and I are running the team. Joshua is keeping the crosshairs off everyone else and I _might_ have collected some new evidence about the nonexistence of New Zealand. We'll have to see about that last one."

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies- Day 4**_

"We really should have improved our shelter after we lost," Cole wearily commented.

He, Diego, Harald, Maddie, and Zaheen sat on the floor of what was once their shelter. The roof had completely blown off in the storm, leaving the five teammates in the rain.

"How did we completely gloss over that?" Diego tried to chuckle but failed. "Ugh, this sucks."

"Thank God for waterproof casts," Zaheen raised both her hands, which were held in place by casts.

"What happened, dear?" Harald crooned.

Zaheen glared daggers at him. "Robin from one of the other teams pushed me backwards while we were fighting. Minor sprains. Should get them off before the show's over. They hurt like hell, though, and I can't practice magic."

"Wait, you're a magician?" Cole blinked. Then he concentrated on the ground for a few seconds. "Oh, that's why… yeah, that makes more sense."

Zaheen rolled her eyes. "I think I'll have a meeting with my majority alliance. Harald, Diego, come along."

She stood and walked away. The boys looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.

Once they were far away from the others- which, because of the storm, wasn't that far- Zaheen turned to the boys. "I know you're dead set on voting for Maddie."

"But…" Diego prompted.

"Can you consider once more voting for Cole? He's a mystery contestant- either too smart or too stupid and both at all the wrong times. Not to mention he's likeable. If we don't vote him off soon there's a very good chance of him making it to the finale."

Nobody spoke. A boom of thunder resounded across the landscape.

"Okay," Harald nodded.

"Sounds good," Diego flashed her a thumbs-up.

Zaheen blinked. "Wait, really?"

"We chatted some," Harald said. "Diego and I. We agreed that while Maddie may be a menace, Cole is some combination of a threat and a weakness."

"And if he really has formed an alliance with Maddie," Diego added, "He's not going to betray her. He was fiercely loyal to Olivia. Loyalty is a dangerous strength but it can aslo be a dangerous weakness. So yes, we will vote for Cole first."

Zaheen was surprised. "Well… all right. Cole it is. This alliance has suddenly taken a turn for the better."

She walked off with dignity.

Diego nudged Harald. "She has no idea we're playing her."

"Not a clue," Harald agreed. "We're still good for Maddie?"

"Yep," the boys shared a fist bump.

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"This injury to my hands is infuriating! I hope I'm not coming across as angry to anybody. But quite frankly, the only thing in this world that makes me happy is magic. Winning Total Drama will be added to that list shortly," she raises her hands, but they spasm. "Ow! Mother of-"

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

Harald bows. "And this, _meine Freunde,_ is me casually taking over my alliance. You see, it only took a few words to turn Diego against Zaheen and onto my side. And now, Zaheen sees me as a loyal pawn while Diego sees me as a loyal… rook, perhaps. When push comes to shove, I have the power to have them at each other's' throats as easily as, say, I leap onto a trapeze bar. Which is very easy indeed." He begins to laugh evilly.

* * *

"I guess they're having an alliance meeting. Should we, like, have an alliance meeting?" Cole asked Maddie.

"Meetings are _boring,_ " Maddie complained. "Full of talking and graphs and usually the doughnuts aren't even chocolate."

As she said the last word, she reached into her pocket and grabbed a chocolate bar, the wrapper of which was disintegrating in the rain. Ignoring this, she began to eat.

"Well, this meeting could help you win a million dollars," Cole reasoned.

"Fine," Maddie pouted. "I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Ummmmmmm I forgot," Maddie smiled. "Who do we vote for?"

"I'm actually not sure," Cole replied. "I think our, uh, best plan of action is to find a crack in the majority alliance and exploit it."

"Exploit," Maddie rolled the word around in her mouth. "Meh, boring word. Good idea though. So… we get Zastin to vote for Drogo?"

"That _was_ the plan, but I don't know if we should, like, still do that. Diego betrayed Olivia for Zaheen and Harald. I think he wants in for the long haul and Zaheen recognizes that."

"Huh," Maddie frowned.

"So we're stuck," Cole shrugged. "Maybe we should just see who's, like, responsible for losing the next challenge and try to pin everything on them."

"But 'choo was responsible fo' losin' the last one, huh huh," Maddie put on a completely unrecognizable accent. "It could happen again."

"True, very true, man," Cole agreed.

"Why don't we," Maddie paused for a long time to bite, chew, savour, and swallow her chocolate. "Why don't we just use Drogo's natural do-gooder behavior to our advantage by making someone seems really mean and stuff? Probably Zastin since she's been acting like a meanie."

Cole fixed his hair, which had flopped down in the rain. "Actually, that might work. I think we should have, uh, a backup though."

"Idea!" Maddie reached her hand up. "You talk to Drogo and try to guilt him into voting for Zastin by bringing up how he betrayed you and I'll scare Harry into voting for her. Only one of those plans needs to work, right?"

"Guilt Diego?" Cole appeared uncomfortable. "I dunno, man. That's kind of immoral."

"He betraaaayed you," Maddie pointed out. "You're not even voting him out. And do you want to not have a backup plan?"

Cole shrugged. "I guess not."

"Good," Maddie punched him in the chest lightly. "Straighten up! Let's go to work!"

"Oh, hey," Cole blinked. "Have you seen a goat anywhere?"

"Nope," Maddie shook her head. "Now let's do this!"

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Maddie's chaotic, but when she focuses she can really understand how the world works. If I can handle her as a person she can be a very valuable ally. In other news, I haven't seen that goat around. He probably hid from the rain, so I'm not worried."

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Sergeant Maddie is running this alliance like a 400 meter race! I wouldn't know much about a 400 meter race since I decided not to participate in any of my mandatory gym classes by threatening the teacher with arson. But I do know how to run an alliance."

* * *

"Hey, Diego," Cole said with a grimace. "Can we talk?"

Diego shrugged. "I shall acquiesce so long as you're not going to bring up me voting out Olivia. That is ancient history as far as I'm concerned."

"...That was, uh, part of the purpose of we talking with you," Cole admitted.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Look, Colten. You seem like a nice child, and I apologize that voting out Olivia impacted you so strongly. But I cannot and will not apologize for voting her out."

"My name's just Cole. That's what's on my birth certificate, anyway," Cole said. "But you won't apologize even though you betrayed us for a pair of villains?"

"They're not villains, lad," Diego argued.

"That's not what I see," Cole noticed. "Has Zaheen said a single nice thing about anybody since she got here? Has Harald spoken to anyone here without acting condescending? It's okay to admit that you've made a mistake in working with them, and there's a way to get out, man."

"Which is?" Diego asked, intrigued.

"Vote with Maddie and me for Zaheen. You can-"

Diego laughed. "I see, you're just trying to get my vote out of pity. Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but that won't work.."

"What happened to you?" Cole asked. "I thought you wanted to play Total Drama with honour."

"Of course," Diego agreed. "Honour to myself. And that is making the smartest decision I can make."

"Even if that decision is to work with villains as a villain," Cole finished.

"They're not villains and neither am I!" Diego barked.

Cole crossed his arms. "Prove it. Vote for Zaheen."

"And what about you, shamelessly trying to manipulate me?" Diego blustered.

"It's not manipulation if you're trying to get a villain to become a hero," Cole said.

"I'M NOT A VILLAIN!" Diego shouted.

A howl of wind, then:

"Well, I guess we'll see. Next time we lose, vote for Zaheen," Cole said.

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Gah. Cole is such a self-righteous lunatic that I almost wish Harald and I were voting for him instead of Maddie. But he'll go home soon, believe me. I still can't get what he said out of my head, though. I'm not a villain, right? I just happen to be working with people that are in opposition with the biggest bloody hero on the island. That doesn't mean…" he sighs. "What am I going to do?"

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Hopefully that worked, because I felt really bad about trying to guilt Diego back there. I wouldn't do it again unless I was really desperate… like I am now. If it doesn't work, maybe Maddie's half of the plan will work with Harald." Then he pauses. "You know, it's really dry in here. I might stay awhile."

* * *

Harald looked around nervously. Gesturing for the camera to turn away, he faced a certain tree. The camera did turn, but a second one was placed on the acrobat.

Confirming that the original camera was not transfixed on him, Harald turned to the tree, and with a flick of the wrist…

...he unzipped his pants and began to relieve himself.

Once he was finished, so to speak, he zipped up his pants and turned back.

"Whatcha doing?" Suddenly, Maddie leapt out from the foliage of the top of the tree.

"Sweet baby Jesus!" Harald gasped, jumping back. "Were you watching me?"

"Watching you do what?" Maddie asked.

Harald sighed with relief.

"Oh, whizzing all over that tree," Maddie remembered.

"Come on!" He turned to the cameras. "You couldn't have warned me?"

"Relax, you were blocked by the leaves," Maddie patted his shoulder. "Besides, I'm a lesbian, remember?"

"What do you want, Maddie?" Harald used the rain to clean his hands.

"Can you pretty please vote off Zastin?" Maddie tried to look charming.

Harald raised an eyebrow. "After that display? No."

"Look, I know your fancy-dancy alliance is voting for me," Maddie pouted. "But don't you think Zastin's starting to be a bit of a ninny?"

"She _is_ controlling at times…" Harald pondered. Then he scowled. "No. I'm definitely voting for you. No ifs, ands, or buts or any helpful prepositions about it."

"None?" Maddie kicked the dirt.

"Now get out of here," Harald growled.

"Even after I saw your-"

"NOW!" Harald pointed.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm messing with Harry. I had my eyes shut the whole time! Too bad he won't vote for Zastin though. It's up to Corncob to do the work, I guess." Then she laughs. "That was fun."

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

He shudders. "If there was any doubt who I was to vote for, it has been completely erased."

* * *

Diego returned to the shelter to find Zaheen lying on the floor, weakly shielding her face from the rain.

"Having fun?" He asked with a small smile.

"I can't _do_ anything," she complained. "I can't hold anything or stretch my fingers or… it's exhausting emotionally."

"Maybe you should quit and save everyone else for another round," Diego joked.

Zaheen ignored him. "What's up with you, _El Zorro?"_

Diego paused before seeming to remember that was him. "Oh, it's all right. Cole's trying to get me to flip, but he's just desperate."

"Can't wait to vote him off," Zaheen muttered without looking at Diego.

"You and me both. He thinks he's always right. It's insufferable," Diego sat down beside Zaheen. "So, uh, what's your life like?"

Zaheen shrugged. "I live in Québec. Single mom. Little brother. We're pretty poor, but we get by. My magic helps pay the bills."

"You must be good," Diego said, impressed.

"I am," Zaheen replied simply. " _Urbania-_ that's a magazine- listed me as the ninth-best magician in the province."

"Nice," Diego complimented.

"You?" Zaheen asked, sitting up.

Diego looked at his feet. Suddenly, he dropped his accent. "I'm actually a pretty boring guy. Single mom, same as you, but we're well-off. I like the usual things. Food, women, you know. Oh, and fencing. Not much else. I don't think I could've made it onto this show without _Zorro_."

"Dropping the facade so soon?" Zaheen asked. "It kind of depreciates your value as a wild card."

"I am, milady, by no means doing that," Diego suddenly looked animated. "I must, however, ask you a question."

"Of course," Zaheen said.

"Can I trust you?" Diego simply.

Zaheen frowned. "Define trust."

"It's a simple yes-or-no question," Diego replied.

"Not really. Do you mean in-game, or in life in general? And with what?"

"Just answer me," Diego snapped. "It's not hard."

Zaheen put her hands on her hips. Then she recoiled, shaking her wrists out. "You need to be more specific."

"You need to give me an answer!" Diego spat.

"It depends on-"

"This is ridiculous. I just came here for some clarification," Diego shook his head, stood, and walked off.

Zaheen raised an eyebrow at the camera.

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Can Diego trust me? The short answer is no. The long answer is 'No, but I'd have to be an idiot to tell you that to your face'. Stalling was my only choice, and even that didn't go so well. Money is tight in my life, and I _need_ the million. So lying and manipulation, though frowned upon, is required."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I hate to say it, but Cole might be onto something. All I asked Zaheen was if she was trustworthy and she couldn't give me a straight answer. Still, it's early in the game and I must admit I don't know if I'm trustworthy. Such hypocrisy is unbecoming of _El Zorro._ So what do I do? Who do I vote for?"

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps- Night 4**_

It was _still_ raining.

However, thanks to the tarp covering their shelter, which had already been the best of the three, Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, and Robin were mostly dry.

Ambrose looked around. He seemed antsy.

Finally, he stood. "I can't stand _not_ doing anything. I'm going to go work on the bench."

"Need some help?" Eloa asked.

"You don't mind getting wet?" Ambrose asked.

"I live in Brazil. It rains there all the time," Eloa assured him.

"I could use the help," Ambrose nodded. He stood.

"All right! Let's go, Robin," Eloa grabbed his arm.

"Robin?" Robin and Ambrose said at the same time.

"Yep," Eloa agreed. "Now let's go!"

They exited the shelter, quickly becoming soaked as the downpour continued.

After a while, they came across the same bench Ambrose had worked on before.

"Here's the bench," Ambrose said proudly. "I found a stump to support the other end."

"Why is it all the way out here? Wouldn't a bench serve more purpose where it was clearly visible and not so out of the way?" Robin questioned.

"Yep," Ambrose agreed.

Robin frowned, off put.

"Hey, why don't we form an alliance?" Eloa suddenly suggested.

"That's why you brought me into the wetness?" Robin gestured around him.

"Is it?" Ambrose asked.

"Well, yeah," Eloa said. "But you both need it!"

"Why's that?" Ambrose asked.

Eloa started to say something but choked back her words. "It's definitely not because you two are the only people not in a majority alliance on this team," she chuckled, leaning against a tree and giving them finger guns.

The boys looked at each other, and back at Eloa.

"I shouldn't have said that," Eloa muttered.

"Probably not, but now I'll accept," Robin said. He stared at Ambrose. "And?"

Ambrose sighed. "I don't _do_ alliances."

"But you're the target!" Eloa said. "It's not, heh, because I indirectly told everyone to vote for you by mistake," she gave a savvy smile.

"Seriously?" Ambrose groaned. "Fine. Who are we voting for, then?"

"Can it be Pearl?" Robin asked. "She gets on my nerves."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Ambrose looked shocked.

Robin frowned. "I believe I've been vocal about my dislike of Pearl since we met," he said.

"It's a joke, dude," Ambrose laughed.

"A fine one at that!" Robin began to laugh as well.

"So we're good for Pearl?" Eloa asked, looking between the two boys.

"Yep," Ambrose wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Yes," Robin smiled.

"Good. Now let's get back to the shelter so we can dry off," Ambrose said. "Anyone have a towel?"

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I don't think anyone brought a towel. Also, I didn't really notice until afterward, but I'm in an alliance with everyone on the team now, so I'm kind of hoping we keep winning challenges so we don't have to vote anyone off."

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"So assuming Pearl has the idol, I need to make sure that either she doesn't get the most votes or, if she does, I _don't_ get the most votes. So Eloa telling me that I'm the target of the nonexistent majority alliance is concerning. I think I'll have to meet with one of them to tell them to flip. The question is, on whom? I thought it should be Robin, but he's proving how much he wants to be here and he's actually really useful to the team. So… I don't know."

* * *

"It's so _cold,_ " Pearl complained. "I thought we'd be more temperate since we're surrounded by the sea."

Marisa and Giuseppe didn't respond- Marisa because she was napping and Giuseppe because he was Italian.

"Did you _really_ expect rain at sunset to be warm?" Robin drawled as he walked over. He sat down in the shelter.

"Ew! You're dripping all over the shelter," Pearl recoiled.

Robin chuckled. "This is the most outdoorsy season of Total Drama to date. It's almost like the author realized that the Total Drama community thrived much more than that of Survivor and decide to write a Survivor season in all but name."

"...What?" Pearl blinked.

Robin also blinked. "What was I saying? Anyway, my point is that you're going to get dirty at some point."

"Well, it can wait," Pearl snapped. She reached for her bottle of sanitizer, which was underneath Robin's suitcase. "What's in here?" She slowly reached for it.

"Don't!" Robin jumped over her, snatching the suitcase and drenching the germaphobe. "That's mine!"

"Ugh!" Pearl shouted. "You got me wet! I'm {CENSORED} _soaked!_ "

"You shouldn't steal others' stuff!" Robin scowled.

"I swear, I'm going to vote you out as soon as possible! Sooner!" Pearl shouted, still in shock.

"You and what alliance? They're all voting for Ambrose," Robin smirked with glee.

"Wait, when did you…" Pearl trailed off and the smirk left Robin's face.

"You have no power over me, Pearl," Robin crossed his arms. "And my alliance is voting for you. To think, this all could've been avoided if-"

Pearl pushed him out of the shelter and back into the rain.

"And stay out," she snapped. "Who'd want to be in an alliance with you, anyway?"

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"Robin's right! This alliance has become the one thing in the way to getting him out! Without the idol, I'd be completely hooped! But I'm not going to wait. Robin has gotten on my last nerve and then some, and if I don't vote him out I'll have a mental breakdown. So now I have to come up with a plan…"

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"Even though she tried to look in my briefcase- which is completely off-limits- I don't even hate Pearl. Far from it. But she's insolent and irritable, two traits that detract from the team as a whole. But they won't any longer!" Then he frowns. "'Who'd want to be in an alliance with you?' What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"I'm going far away," Pearl stood. "I'm wet anyway."

Giuseppe, who had watched the entire interaction but obviously hadn't understood a word of it, watched her leave.

" _Lei sembra arrabbiata_ ," he said to himself.

A boom of thunder resounded, and Marisa's eyes snapped open. "Eek!"

She looked around. "Oh… I was having this really weird dream…"

Giuseppe shrugged, not understanding.

"More English words?" Marisa asked him.

"More English words!" Giuseppe agreed. "Me want know."

Marisa chuckled. "You're a fast learner. I'm giving you words as fast as I can think to show you them." Then she paused. "Hmm… what should I do?"

Giuseppe waited as she thought.

"Here's one!" Marisa realized. "Eat." She mimed scooping some sort of food into her mouth.

"Eat," Giuseppe repeated, making the same gesture. "Uh… me eat pasta?"

"Yeah!" Marisa nodded. "How about… bird." She mimed flapping her arms. "Cacaw!"

"Ah! _Un ucello!_ " Giuseppe said appreciatively. "Eh… beard?"

"Bird," Marisa said slowly.

"Bird," Giuseppe said. "Me… bird… uh…"

"You could say… like?" Marisa suggested. "I... like... birds." She pointed to herself, then smiled and made two thumbs-ups, then flapped her arms again.

"I like birds!" Giuseppe said. "I like birds! I like Total Drama, I like shelter, I like Marisa!"

Maisa smiled and blushed. "I like you too."

"We friend," Giuseppe said. " _Amico._ "

Marisa frowned slightly but hid it well. "Yes, friend."

They paused.

"What…" Giuseppe hesitated. Then he got on his hands and knees and barked.

"Dog," Marisa explained. "You… have… dog?"

"Yes! Have… dog," Giuseppe replied. "What…"

And they continued on.

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"Giuseppe and I are forming a good friendship, and if the rules of Total Drama apply here, every cross-gender friendship eventually results in a romance. So I'm not super worried about Giuseppe kind of accidentally on-purpose friendzoning me. I can handle it, and there's still time. Besides, for a guy like Giuseppe, I can wait."

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

" _Sono felice che Marisa abbia deciso di aiutarmi. Altrimenti non so se sarei ancora nello show. L'aiuto che sto ottenendo è sicuramente molto importante per me._ " He clears his throat. "I like Marisa. Good friend."

* * *

Eloa was dancing in the rain- literally. She was singing to herself as she half-walk/half-danced down the coast.

" _La la la la la la,"_ she sang quietly. She closed her eyes. "Ah, I love the rain."

"I can't say the same," Robin griped. "Also, question."

"Answer," Eloa replied with a stifled giggle.

Robin rolled his eyes. "How mature of you. Can I ask you something for real?"

"Yeah, of course," Eloa looked concerned. "You can tell me anything you need. I'm not a certified peer counselor for nothing, you know."

Robin nodded. "Right. So… did you offer to include me in our alliance because you felt sorry for me?"

"Sorry? Why would I-"

"I don't know, it's just been bugging me since our last conversation," Robin subconsciously adjusted his shirt. "Did you think I needed your help?"

"Well-"

"I don't need your help. I'll make do. I always have and I always will," Robin declared. "I only accepted the alliance as a courtesy."

"Oh," Eloa looked hurt.

Robin frowned. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"No, just… no," Eloa sighed. "Why do you think I think you need help?"

Robin started to say, "Because I-" Then he stopped himself.

"You really can tell me anything," Eloa said softly.

"You won't get it," Robin warned.

"How do you know?"

Robin glared. "Nobody gets it. Not my parents, not my siblings. The only people who really understood me were were my grandparents, and they died. So no, I'm not about to add you to the ever-growing list of people who treat me as an inferior because of a single thing I did in a past life that's barely my own anymore."

Eloa quieted. "...Fine. Don't tell me."

"I won't. Let's just stick to being allies, okay?" Robin sighed. "Enjoy your rain.

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I guess I get a little offended when people don't think they can trust me. I consider myself a very trustworthy person and so for Robin to blow off my help and advice like that… well, I don't know. Maybe I'm just blowing it all out of proportion."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"The me of my past and the me of my present aren't the same person. I was different back then, but I swear, I'm trying to break the habits of my younger days. Believe me, it's a dark part of my life that not even Eloa deserves to have the knowledge of."

* * *

Ambrose had finally returned to the team shelter.

"What took you so long?" Marisa asked. "You left a couple hours ago with Eloa and Robin."

"Working on the bench," Ambrose shrugged. "It's my project while I'm here."

"What happens if you switch teams?" Marisa wondered. "Some type of switch has happened in five out of six seasons. It could be you."

"Guess I'll get a new project, then," Ambrose reasoned. "Where's Giuseppe?"

Marisa shrugged. "We're not attached at the hip."

"Sure seems like it," Ambrose said. "I haven't seen you two apart… well, at all."

"Maybe I need to change that," Marisa said, more to herself than to Ambrose.

"Let's have a conversation, then," Ambrose sat down in the shelter. "Uh, hi. I'm Ambrose Storm."

"No joke? That's your real name?" Marisa started to chuckle. "How does one get stuck with a last name like 'Storm?'"

Ambrose frowned. "So, this is a little personal, but I was actually given up for adoption and then put into the foster system about six months later. I gave myself that last name because I always dreamed of becoming a pro sprinter."

"Oh. Sorry," Marisa said halfheartedly.

"It's fine. I'm over it," Ambrose chuckled. "I've been with a good family for the last three years. A couple more months and I'll start living on my own."

"That's cool, having the savings to do that," Marisa said, impressed.

"Well, qualifying for the Olympics last spring gave me a lot of sponsorships," Ambrose said humbly. "Most of the cash is going toward college or an apartment."

"I wish I was talented enough to get money for doing what I love," Marisa sighed.

"...Not to sound ignorant, but what exactly is that? All I know is that you have a Total Drama blog," Ambrose said.

"It's fine," Marisa waved her arm. "The blog's a big part of my life, but it's not something I want to do as a career."

"What are your interests?" Ambrose wondered.

"I'm a pretty decent photographer," Marisa admitted, a bit shyly. "I want to have my work in a gallery someday."

"No bull? My sister- well, foster sister, but you know- does camera work. Of course, it's more for films and stuff, but it's still neat," Ambrose said. "So what kind of photography do you do? Nature? People? Animals?"

Marisa smiled. "Nature and landscapes."

"That has to take a lot of patience," Ambrose was impressed.

"Oh, it does. Some say that landscapes are easier to photograph than people, but all people have to do is smile. They make the moment. In nature, the moment has to come to you, and that can take hours," Marisa said.

"That seems like good advice for Total Drama, too. Don't seek out the moment, let it come to you," Ambrose pondered this. "I guess if everyone did that, no game would be played. So maybe it only applies to a few of us."

They were both quiet.

"Well, I'm going to see if I can find something to eat. Our three days' worth of food that was set aside has run out," Ambrose stood.

"Need a partner?" Marisa started to stand.

"No, don't dream of it," Ambrose said. "You're the only one on the team that's dry. Use that to your advantage."

"That has a bit of lazy logic to it," Marisa shrugged, and laid back down.

"See ya," Ambrose said as he left.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"Marisa's an all right person. I thought she'd be a complete weirdo from how much time she spends obsessing over gameplay, but she's tolerable. No, not tolerable- enjoyable. Maybe we'll talk again, who knows?"

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"Hm, does that chat move us into 'friends' status? Because if so, I can't win by voting out one of my friends this early. I guess it depends on the viewer's perspective. If I were watching, what would I think?" She looks up. "I hope you weren't expecting thoughts on Ambrose. It's just easier to vocalize my thoughts, and it's private here."

* * *

Pearl was tossing her immunity idol from hand to hand. "Good thing I have you," she muttered. "Or else, well…"

She trailed off.

"Hi!" Giuseppe loudly said, startling her. He was standing ten feet in front of her.

"Hey, Fabio," Pearl groaned. She covertly put the immunity idol in her bag.

"What?" Giuseppe pointed to her bag with curiosity.

Pearl put on a fake smile. "That, Fabio, is called a hidden immunity idol. If you receive the most votes at any elimination ceremony you can use it to erase every vote cast against you. This means that whoever gets the second-most votes will go home. Clear?"

Giuseppe paused. "...No know."

"Yeah, I know," Pearl chuckled. She took the immunity idol back out. " _Book,_ " she said slowly, drawing out the word.

"Book," Giuseppe repeated. "Thank you."

"Marisa's been teaching you some new words, I see," Pearl ignored the thanks. "Well, good for you. Learning a second language on top of playing the game must be hard. Especially considering that your alliance is actively falling apart between Eloa's indecision and my unwillingness to vote for anyone other than Robin."

"...Yes?" Giuseppe tried. "Hey, me no know thing."

"There's a lot of things you don't know," Pearl rationed. "What is it?"

"Alliance- Marisa, Eloa, Pearl, Giuseppe," Giuseppe counted on his fingers. "Yes?"

"Yes," Pearl agreed.

"Alliance vote for?" Giuseppe shrugged. "Ambrose? Robin? No vote?"

"Oh," Pearl said. "Well, Fabio. That's easy. We're voting for A-" she stopped.

"Ambrose?" Giuseppe prompted.

"No, Robin," Pearl said innocently.

"Robin?"

"Robin."

"Thank you!" Giuseppe said, slightly exasperated. "Me no know vote. Know now."

Pearl chuckled. "I'm glad I could be of assistance. Well, if by _assistance_ I mean actively manipulating you by playing on your language barrier in order to get my way despite probably ruining the alliance that Marisa formed in the long run. Thank you for being so helpful."

"You're welcome!" Giuseppe said cheerful.

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

" _Perla usa molte parole che non capisco, ma è molto intelligente e penso che aiuti l'alleanza. E questo dovrebbe aiutarmi ad andare oltre, quindi non dirò di no,"_ He says. "I like Pearl."

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"Giuseppe is too fun to play around with. I didn't really recognize the potential for manipulation until now, though. I'm not going to make him my vote slave or anything like that. However, using him to get rid of Robin is something I _am_ willing to do."

* * *

 _ **The Challenge- Day 5**_

"Where are we headed?" Frederick asked Rachel as they walked through the forest. They each held an umbrella- Rachel's was a simple brown, while Frederick's was white with pink polka dots.

"Some place called, um…" Rachel checked her cell phone. "Pi'quoc Fields. Supposedly, there's a big clearing in the middle of the forest where the staff mowed down a bunch of trees to make room for challenges."

"Of course they had to cut down trees," Frederick said. "Why couldn't they have just found an empty spot? There's more than enough."

"The scenery?" Rachel suggested.

"Still, the environment's already bad as it is. We don't need people cutting down trees for scenery," Frederick scowled.

"I guess not," Rachel replied. "Hey, I think the rain stopped."

"Really? Nice," Frederick grinned. "I guess that means you get two hands for your exercise-of-the-day. What is it today, squats?"

"Jumping jacks," Rachel corrected. "And it's every two days."

Frederick nodded. "My bad. Still, I think it's pretty neat how you're sticking true to your health thing even with the internship."

"Speaking of which…" Rachel's watch was beeping. She quickly did twenty jumping jacks before continuing on. "There we go."

"Yay for fitness!" Frederick said with a fist pump.

"Do I detect sarcasm?"

"Who do you take me for, Caleb?" Frederick laughed. Then he frowned. "Huh, it's still kind of windy. I don't know if I put enough gel in my hair."

"You'll be fine," Rachel assured him.

"Maybe, but just in case, I should just…" Frederick pulled out a small bottle of hair gel and began to apply some to his do. He was so busy doing this that he didn't even notice when he smacked into the wall.

Wait. Wall?

"I guess we're here," Rachel said. "Let's go meet up with the contestants."

* * *

Confessional: Frederick

"We make a good team, the three of us. We're like Batman, Robin, and Alfred. Or Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman. Or Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Needless to say, I'm Batman. I get Batman privileges for coming up with the metaphor."

* * *

Confessional: Rachel

"And then you have Frederick. He's a very aware person and he seems to genuinely care for others, but he's just so darn vain. Maybe if he wasn't so obsessed with his appearance he'd be easier to hang out with, but… yeah."

* * *

Frederick and Rachel were now sitting on top of the wall.

"Here they come now," Rachel said.

"Yep," Frederick agreed. "Hey, Wasps! Up here!"

The Wicked Wasps were speechless as they came in, viewing the structure upon which the interns sat.

"...That is big," Ambrose simply said.

"That it is," Rachel said. "Here come the Dragonflies!"

The Dastardly Dragonflies had a similar reaction to the Wasps. All except for…

"Cool! I wanna play in it," Maddie said, running up to the outer wall and stroking it appreciatively.

"Er, you will very shortly," Frederick said. "And there's the Tarantulas now."

"There _are_ ," Robin corrected.

Frederick frowned. "Okay. There _are_ the Tarantulas. As you can see, Alexei was voted out at the last elimination ceremony."

"Oh," Eloa frowned. "That sucks."

The tarantulas walked in and took their spot.

Rachel and Frederick both hopped down from the top of the wall. Rachel moved quickly, landing on the ground with ease. Frederick tried to hang on the edge of the wall to get himself as close to the ground as possible, lost his grip, and fell onto his back.

He stood up and brushed himself off, ignoring the contestants' laughter. "Well, it's challenge time once again. For one of you, this will be your last challenge. But if you win, that won't happen."

Rachel motioned to the structure. "Welcome to the Pi'quoc Fields, where quite possibly this will be the largest maze you will ever be inside."

The camera angle suddenly changed to an overhead shot, showing that, indeed, the giant structure was a maze, with ten-foot-high walls with several gaps.

"For this challenge, your objective is simple," Frederick said. "Simply get to the center of the maze. The first team with five members and the finish will win."

"It's really that easy," Rachel said.

Frederick nodded. "And just to make things a bit more difficult, each team member will be starting from a different position."

"This challenge is for a reward," Rachel added. "Want to know what it is?"

The top sixteen nodded or vocalized their agreement.

"The first team to finish will win…" Frederick pulled a blanket off of the reward. "Two hammocks and a bunch of pillows! Perfect for relaxation after a long day."

"Nice," Diego said to himself.

"The second place team to finish will get either hammocks or pillows, their choice," Rachel added.

"And last place gets nothing except a trip to Verloor Island to vote out one of their own," Frederick finished. "Don't be that team. By the way, the Wicked Wasps need to sit out one member. It can't be Pearl since she sat out of the last challenge."

They quickly discussed amongst themselves.

"I'll do it," Eloa volunteered.

"Grab some bench, then," Rachel pointed. Eloa walked over. "Everyone else, Frederick or myself will take you to your starting positions. The following people come with me…"

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I'm not very good with directions. I don't think this was the challenge for me. But I'll definitely be cheering my team on in my head!"

* * *

"Is everyone ready?" Frederick shouted through a megaphone so he could be heard from all sides. "Well, on your mark, get set…"

…

…

…

…

…

"Go!"

Diego, Maggie, and Pearl took off from their respective entrance. Both Pearl and Maggie walked, while Diego set off at a light jog.

"What's the matter?" Diego taunted as he ran ahead. "Too tired to run?"

He rounded a corner.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Three… two... "

Diego came running back. "Okay, so that was a dead end. Bad example."

Then he took off in a different direction.

The two girls waited. Diego didn't return.

"I guess we're going that way," Pearl said. She chuckled and Maggie almost-smiled before the two girls jogged over to keep up.

* * *

Harald and Koh watched as Ambrose moved at a dead sprint, barely checking around corners before changing his path.

"{CENSORED}, he's fast," Koh realized. "Really is an Olympian."

"He'll tire soon. It's more beneficial to walk," Harald said. "Shall we work together?"

"Sure," Koh reached out for a handshake.

When Harald grasped her hand, she judo-flipped him onto the ground. Then, she knocked him out with a well-placed strike to the head.

"Sorry, H, but I got a challenge to win," Koh laughed. She walked away.

* * *

Cole, Logan, and Marisa were all walking side by side.

"I thought I'd be the only one to walk," Logan mentioned. "What with asthma and all."

"I'm not a great runner," Cole admitted. "I fall over a lot."

"I don't see the point if you two aren't," Marisa explained. "I mean, if we're all the last ones I can probably beat one of you in a footrace."

"That's fair," Logan said. "Um… maybe we should make sure we're not the last ones."

They all sped up a bit.

"So, how have your teams been treating you guys?" Marisa asked. She checked a corner, shrugged, and turned.

"Trying to get some intel to take back to your team?" Logan asked as he followed her.

Marisa was shocked. "I would never-"

"Relax, I'm joking," Logan chuckled. "My team's all right. My closest ally nearly went home last elimination, but she used an idol to save herself."

"Really? Who?" Marisa asked.

"Koh," Logan said. "Alexei, the guy who went home, Chloe, the short girl, and Maggie, the girl wearing camo, they blindsided us."

"No," Marisa was surprised.

"Yeah. I didn't even think they were all that mean-" Logan stopped. "Hey, where'd Cole go?"

Marisa paused. Cole was gone.

"I'm not waiting for him," Marisa shrugged. "I can still beat you in a race."

* * *

"Hahaha!" Maddie was bouncing off the walls- literally. "Whee!"

"Madam, I must ask you to calm down!" Robin scolded. "Perhaps this is normal behaviour for you, but you will most certainly cause your team to lose should this continue!"

"Isn't that what we want?" Chloe wondered. "Wouldn't it make more sense to let Maddie do her own thing so we can win?"

Robin turned to face her. "I'd rather not win so dishonestly."

"Fair," Chloe shrugged. "But I would, so see you."

They came across a fork in the maze. Robin went left, while Chloe went right.

"Come along, Madison!" Robin instructed.

"My name's not Madison, you meanie," Maddie stuck her tongue out. "Just for that, I'm going to go the other way."

"Go the other way, Madison," Robin said.

"That's not my name! Just for that, I'm going with you," Maddie smirked. "So there."

Robin massaged his temples. "I'm getting a stress headache."

* * *

Zaheen, Joshua, and Giuseppe all walked down a corridor.

They were silent.

Joshua brightened. "Hey, isn't-"

"Quiet," Zaheen snapped.

Joshua frowned. Giuseppe tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a path branching off their current one.

Joshua grinned, and the two boys snuck away, leaving Zaheen alone.

* * *

"We lost him. How did we lose him?" Pearl groaned. "And here I was thinking this would be an easy win."

"Calm down," Maggie droned. "It's not that big a maze. We'll probably find someone else to tail."

On cue, Koh, who had just rounded a corner, appeared, jogging towards them.

She scowled at Pearl. "The fresh hell you doing with my teammate? This is a challenge."

"Like if there was a person you enjoyed the companionship of _you_ wouldn't want to hang out with them," Pearl crossed her arms. "Though I suppose you wouldn't know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Koh glowered/

"Your prickly exterior drives people away and prevents you from making any lasting connections," Pearl sniffed. "You can barely be in the same room as someone without having your anger issues flare up."

"Shut up!" Koh drew her knife.

"Pearl…" Maggie warned.

"Once this show is done you'll have nothing to show for it. No money, no friends, just memories of regret because if you were a good person, things could have changed," Pearl stared at Koh. "So-"

Koh slammed her into the wall. She placed her knife on Pearl's throat.

"Step away from the woman," a voice said.

Diego stood behind her, sword point aimed. "There will be no violence on my watch."

Koh froze, indecisive. Then she stepped back and spat at Pearl. Pearl quickly applied some sanitizer to every inch of exposed skin.

"Go," Diego boomed. "Take your teammate with you," he flicked his sword to indicate Maggie. "This is your one warning."

"You're making me go with her?" Maggie complained loudly.

"I'm not scared of you," Koh glowered. But still, she and Maggie continued on.

Once they left, Diego turned to Pearl. "I'm sorry. A beautiful lady such as yourself should not go through an experience such as that."

"Don't touch me," Pearl snapped. Then she softened. "Did you say beautiful?"

"Of course," Diego took off his hat and bowed. " _El Zorro_ at your service."

Pearl giggled.

* * *

Ambrose sprinted down the maze. He barely looked tired. "This is a nice workout," he said to himself.

He quickly checked down a path. Harald lay there, still not moving.

Ambrose slowed down and frowned. "Do I...?"

He looked at the camera. "Nah." He began to run again.

As he continued on, he heard voices.

"Get away from me!" Robin was shouting.

"Just let me see how flammable you are!" Maddie replied.

"Teammate in need," Ambrose said apologetically to the camera. "You've probably gotten a workout, too."

The camera bobbed up and down.

"I'll try to slow down," Ambrose said. His pace as he rounded the corner was a sprint, but it was a slower sprint.

"Cease this tomfoolery at once!" Robin scolded Maddie as she chased him up and down the corridor.

"Hmm… no," Maddie decided. She cackled as she flicked her lighter menacingly.

"Break it up, you two," Ambrose declared, stepping between them.

"But I just wanted to see if he'd burn," Maddie pouted. "He was asking for it."

Ambrose turned to Robin. "Hey. Man up. It's a lighter."

"Yeah, and she also has a flamethrower," Robin replied.

"And a knack for using it!" Maddie added cheerfully.

"You two, I swear," Ambrose sighed. Then he looked up. "Um.. did you notice that the finish was right there?"

They also looked up. At the end of the straightaway, Rachel and Frederick were waving.

"Oh," Robin said simply. "Shall we go?"

"I'm going to leave you with Flames here," Ambrose replied, gesturing to Maddie. "I'm good with directions and I can help lead the others here."

"Your call," Robin shrugged.

"Don't call me Flames! That's worse than Madison," Maddie commanded. "Now, I have a challenge to win!"

She ran off.

"Does she know that it's the first team, not the first person?" Ambrose idly wondered.

"She will soon," Robin said.

* * *

"By the way, sorry for… er... " Joshua kneed the air, and then pointed to his nether regions. "That."

He and Giuseppe were strolling along.

Giuseppe shrugged. " _Sono dolorante, ma devi fare quello che devi fare."_

"Considering you're not trying to hurt me, I'm assuming we're cool."

Giuseppe raised his hands up as if to say, _We're good._

"Good! Everyone loves The King, and The King loves everyone," Joshua said. "Well… except Koh."

"Koh?" Giuseppe repeated.

Joshua nodded. "Koh."

"Koh?" Giuseppe looked confused.

"Koh," Joshua agreed.

Giuseppe shook his head. "Koh?"

"Are we interrupting something?" Logan asked as he popped his head around the corner. Then Marisa followed.

"It's just Joshua and Joey," Logan said.

"Joey?" Giuseppe asked.

"Joey," Logan confirmed.

Joshua looked at Logan. "Joey?"

"We're not doing this again," Marisa quickly said.

"You've never been called Joey?" Logan asked, surprised. "Huh. I thought all Giuseppes were Joeys."

"This one isn't," Marisa pointed out.

"Joey," Giuseppe repeated idly to himself. "Joey, Joey, Joey."

They were interrupted by Frederick's megaphone, the noise of which echoed down the stage. "Just an update, Maddie and Robin have just finished the challenge! Everyone else better hurry up, especially the Tarantulas."

Once he finished, Logan chuckled. "Well, let's go so we're not racing for last. I'm the slowest one here, after all."

* * *

"Maddie and Robin have finished?" Zaheen chuckled to herself. "My two least favourite people in existence."

"That's kind of harsh," Chloe said as she came from a corridor to Zaheen's right. "What about all the perfectly valid people to hate?"

"Such as?" Zaheen asked.

"Well, I'm not going to condone hate, but I'd say that most politicians could make that list in some regard," Cole said. "Oh, hey Zaheen." He turned to Chloe. "Did you know that Zaheen's a magician?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "...Yes?"

Zaheen sighed heavily. "My contempt for humanity grows ever so stronger."

"Well, I'm no math genius, but if I came from here," Cole pointed behind him. "And you came from there," he pointed to Zaheen's hallway. "And you came from there…" He pointed behind Chloe.

Suddenly, Ambrose came running down the fourth path. "Finally! People!" Then, as he came closer, he saw who those people were. "Uh… this way's not it either."

He turned around and ran back.

Cole, Chloe, and Zaheen glanced among themselves. Then they followed Ambrose.

* * *

Koh and Maggie awkwardly shuffled along.

"If you say anything about this, I'm going to kill you," Koh warned.

"Unlike Pearl, I know when to keep my mouth shut," Maggie responded.

They were silent.

"Do I really have anger issues?" Koh asked.

"Yes," Maggie replied simply. "Were you honestly unsure of this?"

"I don't know," Koh sighed. "It's just… where I live, violence is the only thing people seem to understand. You can't say, 'Please stop' and expect them to stop. My parents-"

She abruptly stopped talking.

"You don't have to continue," Maggie said.

"My parents died. I watched my parents die," Koh said with a haunted edge to her voice. "A gang leader put a gun to their face, and you know what my dad said? It was ten years ago and I still remember. He said, 'Please stop.'"

"Oh…" Maggie didn't say anything else.

"That really changed my life in a couple of ways," Koh said. "I started getting angry at all the little things. When that didn't work I just got depressed. Now I'm back to angry."

"Maybe you should go to therapy," Maggie suggested.

Koh shook her head. "I'm in a gang of my own. We do a lot of illegal {CENSORED}. If they traced me back to them, jailed them, I'd never forgive myself."

"Huh," Maggie said. "Well, perhaps you should lay off killing people for now."

"I guess so," Koh shrugged. "Just… if I get really mad or something-"

"I'll calm you down," Maggie insisted.

"I was going to say, make sure you get outta my way," Koh said. "Because I don't know if I can stop myself."

Maggie nodded. Then she looked up. "Hey. I think we've arrived."

* * *

"Attention, everyone!" Frederick said. "Cole, Zaheen, Chloe, Koh, and Maggie have now finished! If you are Diego, Harald, Joshua, Logan, Ambrose, Pearl, Giuseppe or Marisa, you'd better get your rear in gear!"

"Only one person from our team's finished?" Marisa asked with surprise. She looked apologetically at Logan and Joshua. "I think we should run ahead so we don't lose."

"No problem," Logan said. "See you, Marisa. Joey."

"Joey," Giuseppe said. Once Marisa started to run, he followed suit.

"They seem nice enough," Logan commented.

"Yeah, for being on another team," Joshua replied.

Logan nodded. "Speaking of teams, we're the last competitors on ours. We should get moving."

"That's a little difficult when you can't run," Joshua pointed out.

"Yeah," Logan sighed. "Perhaps you should scout out ahead?"

"The King doesn't do dirty work," Joshua shook his head. "That's for servants."

"You do realize the irony in that statement, right?" Logan raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm… you know…"

"You're gay?" Joshua asked in shock.

"What? No! I'm a _servant_ ," Logan rolled his eyes. "Why would you think-"

"And Marisa and Giuseppe have just finished too!" Frederick called out.

Logan and Joshua stopped.

"Shoot, which way did they go?" Logan asked.

* * *

"Turn around, left, right, two lefts," Ambrose said to himself. "Left, right, and two lefts."

He paused. "Who's left? That'd be… Logan, Joshua, Diego, and Pearl, I think," he said.

"And Logan and Joshua have just finished," This time, it was Rachel speaking into the megaphone. "Meaning that the Terrible Tarantulas take first place." Then, much quieter, "See, Frederick? It doesn't have to be loud. Oh, wait, is this still o-"

Ambrose couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he looked around. "Do I wait for Pearl, or…"

Suddenly, he stopped. Hearing voices, he poked his head around the corner.

"And so, as I raced across the plain on my trusty steed, General Leopold cursed my name," Diego was finishing a story.

"Wow, that's so heroic," Pearl giggled. "You must get a lot of attention from women."

"This is not happening," Ambrose groaned. "Hey, you two!" He loudly said as he rounded the corner. "Pearl, can I remind you that we're in a challenge, and that we're the last three?"

"Are we?" Diego frowned.

"I didn't notice," Pearl frowned. "Well, see you later, Diego."

"We'll meet again, love," Diego winked. Pearl went red and smiled.

Once Pearl and Ambrose went back around the corner, Ambrose said, "I don't have to explain to you why you shouldn't be doing this."

"We're just talking," Pearl frowned. 'He saved me, you know."

"Look, we're really close to the finish. I'll keep it under wraps for now," Ambrose sighed. "Let's go."

"How close are we?" Pearl asked.

"It's just a left, a right, and two lefts," Ambrose recited. "Seriously, we're almost-"

"Haha!" Diego jumped out. "I was listening the whole time!"

He ran past them.

"Shoot!" Ambrose cursed. "Pearl, I'm really sorry for this."

Pearl looked confused. "For- HEY!" She screamed as Ambrose picked her up bridal-style and started to chase after Diego.

"Put me down! This is so unsanitary!" Pearl complained.

"You'll be fine," Ambrose said as they rounded the last corner. "We're catching up!"

"Not fast enough, I'm afraid!" Diego called back.

"Who will finish first?" Frederick asked as he yanked the megaphone away from Rachel. "Diego's Dragonflies, or Ambrose and Pearl's Wasps?"

Suddenly, one boy crossed the finish line. His team celebrated while the other team sighed. That boy was…

…

…

…

…

…

…Diego.

"Haha!" Diego cheered. He turned to Pearl. "Sorry, love. Better luck next time."

"Put me down!" Pearl starting punching Ambrose.

"There you have it," Rachel confirmed. "The Wicked Wasps win!"

"What?" Diego, Ambrose, and Frederick all said at the same time.

Then Diego turned to his team. "Hey, where's-"

"WAIT!" Harald then dramatically burst onto the scene.

"Oh yeah, forgot about him," Ambrose said.

Harald pointed an accusatory finger at Koh. "She knocked me out!"

"There's no rule against that," Rachel said. Her watch beeped. "Take over, Fred."

Frederick shrugged. "Well, there you have it. Dragonflies are going to elimination once again. But first, we have some rewards to give out."

Rachel finished her jumping jacks and gestured to the Tarantulas. "For winning the challenge, you get hammocks and pillows, which will be waiting back at your team's campsite. See you at the next challenge."

Following an intern, the team departed.

"For getting second, the Wicked Wasps get a choice: Hammocks or pillows," Frederick said. "What's your decision?"

They quickly talked it over.

"We'll take pillows," Marisa announced.

"They'll be at your camp. See you later," Frederick waved them goodbye as they left.

"Dastardly Dragonflies, you know the drill. Verloor Island, and one of you will be going home. Who that will be is all up to you," Rachel said. "Caleb will see you then. Go back to camp."

They left.

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"There's more to the story than what I told Maggie. Yeah, my parents died, and yeah, I was there, but there's a bigger reason for why I'm so {CENSORED} up in the head. And that's something that I ain't telling anyone."

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"I know I was annoyed with Diego's _El Zorro_ bit before, but it's actually starting to grow on me," she giggles, then frowns. "Hopefully he doesn't go home."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I have a big decision to make. Do I stick with Harald and vote for Maddie? Or do I trust Cole and vote for Zaheen? I don't know what to do, but I dislike having my votes being so decisive in this competition."

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies- Day 5**_

The team returned back to camp.

"Cole, Maddie, can we speak briefly?" Zaheen asked him.

"Uh, sure," Cole agreed. "Like, right now?"

"Preferably away from everyone else," Zaheen said.

"Okie dokie," Maddie nodded.

The trio left.

"She's gone," Harald said. "And with the only people not in her alliance, no less."

"Could she be voting for one of us?" Diego wondered.

"I doubt it," Harald shook his head. "My dear would never betray us like that. More likely, she's trying to split their votes to give us the advantage."

"I'm not so sure," Diego said.

"Don't worry about it," Harald said. "Vote for Maddie. She's not going to vote for you."

Meanwhile, in another part of the island, Zaheen said, "I want to vote for Diego."

"For playing a part in losing the challenge?" Cole asked.

"For making the team suck?" Maddie suggested.

"No, I just don't like him," Zaheen growled. "He's been grating on my nerves with his heroism act. You know, I asked him if he trusted me and he refused to give me a straight answer."

"You'd think that if he betrayed us for you, he'd stay with you," Cole mentioned.

"Well, that's obviously not the case, now is it!" Zaheen shouted.

"Okay, sorry," Cole backed away.

Maddie raised her hand.

"Yes, Maddie," Zaheen said wearily.

"Do you think you're suddenly so angry because your hands have prohibited your ability to perform magic which is consequently causing added stress?" Maddie asked.

Zaheen paused. "How do you even know what prohibited means?"

"I know lots of big words," Maddie grinned. "Initialize, phosphorous, elemenopee-"

"Just vote for Diego," Zaheen sighed. She left.

"So, are we, like, doing this, man?" Cole asked.

"I don't know…" Maddie trailed off.

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm surprised Diego has his doubts about Zaheen. She's perfectly trustworthy to me. Besides, even if she wasn't, I want Maddie out," he then mutters, "She makes me uncomfortable."

* * *

Confessional: Zaheen- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Is it irrational that I want to vote out Diego? No, of course not. I need loyalty in this game. And Diego refuses to offer that. It's a perfectly logical choice! I swear!" She then brushes against the wall and cries out in pain. "MY HANDS HURT SO {CENSORED} MUCH!"

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Can I really trust Zaheen? Because if so, this might be the break that I needed to break apart the alliance. But if not, man, I think I'm going home."

* * *

 _ **Verloor Island- Dastardly Dragonflies**_

Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie, and Zaheen entered the elimination hut and sat down.

"Back so soon?" Caleb snarkily asked.

"Can it and get on with the questions," Zaheen snapped.

"You're in luck," Caleb said dryly. "I'm naturally introverted and, quite frankly, don't want to speak with any of you. So we'll get right to voting."

Suddenly, Chris' voice came through on his walkie-talkie. " _That's a no-go. Frederick skipped them last time and we-"_ He was halted as Caleb changed the frequency.

"That should take him about a half-hour to figure out," Caleb said, satisfied. "Anyway, you'll cast your votes in alphabetical order. Then, whoever gets the most votes against them will go home, unless they have an immunity idol."

"I didn't know there were those this season!" Maddie gasped. "I'mma look for one after this!"

"Was that the smartest thing to say right before the votes?" Caleb wondered. "At any rate, Cole, you're up first."

Cole stood.

* * *

Voting: Cole

"Honestly, I don't trust Zaheen. That talk just made me more suspicious of her. I think I'd feel a little hypocritical if I voted for Diego, considering I told Maddie I'd vote for Zaheen and if I betrayed her that'd make me, like, no better than him. So, uh, I vote for Zaheen."

* * *

Voting: Diego

"My choice is simple. Zaheen or Maddie? Maddie or Zaheen? I guess I'll know if I made the right call shortly."

* * *

Voting: Harald

"Yes… Maddie must go tonight. I see no reason to deviate from a solid plan."

* * *

Voting: Maddie

"Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe…" She gleefully writes a name down.

* * *

Voting: Zaheen

"My team is stocked with idiots. I'd be equally happy to see any of them go, but for now, I'll be content with eliminating Diego. And good riddance." She tries to write her vote down, but her hands cramp. "OW!"

* * *

Once she returned, shaking her hands angrily, Caleb stood. "I'll go get the votes."

They waited awkwardly.

"Do you think they intentionally make him wait longer than necessary or he takes time to decide the order in which the votes are read?" Cole wondered. His question went unanswered.

Caleb eventually returned. "It's time. If I call your name, you're safe. With no votes against..."

"Cole."

"Harald."

The boys looked at each other and back at Caleb.

"I got votes again? Aw, nuts," Madie frowned.

Diego shook his head while Zaheen cracked her neck.

"Now, with a single vote against..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Maddie, you're safe."

"Whoop!" Maddie applauded herself.

Diego and Zaheen stared each other down.

"Diego, Zaheen, only one of you will continue in this competition. And with one vote against, that person is..."

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"...Diego," Caleb finally said.

Diego tipped his hat at Zaheen. "Milady."

"Zaheen, with three votes against, you're the third person voted out of Total Drama: The K'wala Islands," Caleb said.

"WHAT?" Zaheen snapped. "Who- How-"

Harald looked distraught. "Dear…"

Zaheen wheeled on him. "Don't 'dear' me, you buffoon. I hated you from the first moment you stepped foot on the island. I was planning on betraying you as soon as it was convenient."

Harald looked shocked. Then his look was replaced with an eerie grin. "Oh, I know."

"What?" Zaheen asked.

"I know," Harald repeated. "That's why I convinced Cole and Maddie to vote for you after you spoke with them. I used reverse psychology to get Diego to vote for you. I only voted for Maddie in case you had an immunity idol. I played you, Zaheen. And you're going to spend the rest of your life knowing that I, Harald Skeithwick, acrobat extraordinaire, cheated you out of the grand prize."

Zaheen was dumbfounded. For once, she said nothing.

"Holy moly," Caleb laughed. "That was awesome. Zaheen, you're still out, so act like it. The exit is that way."

Zaheen was still shocked. She left the elimination hut without a word.

"You just voted out one mastermind and seemingly gained another," Caleb said to the Dragonflies. "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I'm here for it. Head back to camp. We'll see you next challenge."

Cole, Diego, Harald, and Maddie left.

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"So I was working with a villain all along. And maybe I still am…" he looks into the distance. "I have to take some time to deal with this."

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I hope I fooled you, the audience, as well as I did Zaheen. I assure you, I'm no bumbling idiot as everyone seems to think. The others should watch out, because I'm coming with my guns blazing, and I take no prisoners."

* * *

Chris stood outside the elimination hut, still tinkering with his walkie-talkie.

He sighed, tossed the device away, and hung up yet another photograph beside Alexei's. It was a picture of the magician, reading _Zaheen- 16th._

"Another day, another elimination," Chris said. "Unfortunately, Zaheen's luck ran out. And at the worst time, too."

He stepped forward. "Will the Dastardly Dragonflies _ever_ win a challenge? Will Koh undergo personal growth after the admission of her dark past? Will _anyone_ follow protocol and ask questions at elimination ceremonies? I sure hope so, but we'll find out next time on…"

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"

* * *

Final Confessional: Zaheen- 16th Place

"This game was a waste of time. First I get injured, then I get blindsided… Total Drama is the worst thing to have ever happened to me. No further comment."

* * *

 _The Votes:_

 _Cole voted for… Zaheen_

 _Diego voted for… Zaheen_

 _Harald voted for… Maddie_

 _Maddie voted for… Zaheen_

 _Zaheen voted for… Diego_

 _Final Tally: 3 votes for Zaheen, 1 vote for Maddie, 1 vote for Diego._

* * *

 **This elimination really pained me, honestly. Zaheen was such a fun character to write, and I enjoyed her being the Only Sane Man (or woman, in this case) on her team. Unfortunately, I have a couple villains and villain-ish characters, and looking through each of them, I decided that this story needed Zaheen the least as it progressed. Zaheen fell victim to playing too much, too soon, and when you add her injury on top of everything else, it was decided (and by the way, if she acted OOC this chapter, it's because her injury was negatively impacting her psyche, as Maddie kind of mentioned). Sorry JackHammerMan, and no hard feelings?**

 **I think this is the first elimination that most of you saw coming. I honestly tried to set it up that way, but I wanted to leave that little 'But what if...' thought in your minds.**

 **Zaheen's another character with six letters in her name. Am I really getting rid of all the six-letter characters first? Well, I'll let you be the judge of that.**

 **Here's your challenge today: Say something you didn't like. It can be of this chapter or if the story in general. Don't say there's nothing. That won't help me improve. At the same time, I'm not great at taking criticism, so be gentle.**

 **Finally, let's move on to…**

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_

 _Congratulations to_ _ **Zevoros, DinoKea, and Omakin,**_ _who correctly guessed that Zaheen would be eliminated! The scores will be updated at the beginning of the next chapter._

 _It's that time again! Pick_ _ **one person**_ _from each team that you think will be eliminated. Once again, this is for every team, not just the Dragonflies._

 _ **The Teams:**_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:**_ _Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:**_ _Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:**_ _Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

* * *

 _ **Eliminated Contestants:**_

 **16th- Zaheen: The Street Magician**

 **17th- Alexei: The Optimistic Hiker**

 **18th- Olivia: The Silent Doll**

 **Takk skal du ha!**


	6. Ep5: I’m a Prodigy, Dawg

**_It's come to my attention that I've been misspelling Fredrick's name as Frederick so far. I won't fix it in the chapters which I've already written, but for the rest of the story it'll be spelled differently._**

* * *

 **Hey, y'all! My computer's back in action, so I thought I'd celebrate with a super early chapter! I don't really know how this affects my schedule, but I'll definitely have at least one more chapter before Christmas.**

 **...Unfortunately, I uploaded this on my phone, which doesn't have a spell-checker, so while I corrected a couple errors, there'll be a couple.**

 **My login captcha was 1999, so now I feel like partying.**

 **Full disclosure, I don't know if it was smart to ask for criticism last time because of my low self-esteem. But whatever. Here were the major ones, which I'll address here:**

 **Chris' non-presence so far: Yeah, I admit that there was a plotline for this that was coming much later, but because of the emphasis put on this part of the story, I think I'll move it up. It might make the latter chapters a bit lacking, but I'm sure I'll be able to put something else in there.**

 **Boring/Short challenges: I'm much better at writing character interactions than challenges themselves to be honest. So far, all of my challenges have felt pretty much like 'Filler filler filler and there's our winner!' I'll try to work on that. And I had only planned for one or two long challenges, but I think I'll make some more because people like those. Including this one...**

 **Elimination ceremonies: I actually went back and changed these so you're welcome.**

 **If there was anything else, I probably didn't mention it because it only applies to one of you, so I'll just throw it into the review response.**

 ***Wittily segues to reviews***

 **GirlPower54:** It's all right, a bunch of other people didn't get it right. At least you're not the only one in last. Perhaps there's a secret movement between all contestants to take out the six-letter-namers? Who knows? Rip Maddie, Maggie, Joshua, Harald, and Marisa though if it turns out to be true.

 **Zevoros:** You did call it, didn't you. Nice one. I think if you miss Zaheen I did a good job writing her, but I'm glad that you get why she left.

 **AZW330:** People really like Zaheen, which was not what I was expecting. Maybe I should've kept her longer… ah, well, no use second guessing. I liked your suggestion of putting some social and strategical interaction within the challenges, so I'll be doing that. Maggie's smart, we all know that, so I want to show other parts of her before she either wins or goes home. The weird spelling errors were just because I wrote the last chapter on my phone, and spell-checking on there is more effort than it's worth (and that's saying something, considering 'what it's worth' is not having a chapter riddled with errors).

 **Artamis9:** Well, you saw that I'm changing Fredrick's name starting now, so there's that. I'm afraid you're in the minority for liking challenges so far (not that everyone else disliked them, but most were pretty neutral).

 **ShadowJCreed:** A couple other people mentioned Chris' laziness too. That was actually kind of an error on my part (it was intentional for him to be less involved, but not as uninvolved as he's been). Expect the unexpected… unless the unexpected happens so often that the expected becomes the unexpected and then you should expect the expected which would become the unexpected. I had this conversation with someone else, and I still don't understand what it means.

 **Beastboycoolman15:** I'm glad to catch you off guard, but less glad than normal because I really need to stop catching people off guard before everyone just starts thinking 'Oh, there's no reasoning why Billy would go home so obviously Billy will go home'. Injuries are something often skipped over by TD FanFiction writers, and while I didn't want another medical evacuation (or at least, not with Zaheen… heh heh…) I did want an injury to play a part in an elimination to drive home that, as much as it's a strategic game, it's still on an island and there's still an element of that (that's the same reason why it was raining last chapter, actually).

 **Cndl Mnsn:** Wow, rough chapter for you. And Zaheen was your favourite? I have to say, after picking Faith last time, I wasn't expecting that. I didn't even consider the possibility of your favourite going home before I figured it out. I can't tell if you were making a Justin Timberlake reference or an Imagine Dragons reference, to be honest. Good luck with your left hand!

 **DinoKea:** I have successfully ignored the first part of your review, so no comment there. As for your criticisms, I mentioned Chris' absence and how that was a plot line that was supposed to come later but I'm moving up. The small teams is, unfortunately, something that I have no plans to change. Hopefully you can overlook that, and I guess it helps you look forward to the merge.

 **JackHammerMan:** I'm relieved you're okay with Zaheen's elimination. I'm always afraid that when I get a new submitter for my stories that they'll get super mad that their OC leaves, but I'm glad that's not the case. A lot of people like Ambrose and Koh, so I really feel like I'm doing well with those two.

 **Mistress Mysterious:** Thanks!

 **Apenad4LIFE:** You definitely will get it right eventually! Whether it be now or closer to then end (it gets much easier as the merge reduces the players), I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. As I've said, Chris' non-presence was intentional but not to the degree that it ended up being. Romances are always a thing I struggle with writing since I always feel like I'm copying someone else, that's why I go for some weirder ships (like Pearl and Diego, although that's still unconfirmed). Diego has a choice ahead of him, that's for sure. And yeah, I feel like some people forget that quote unquote gag characters can have other attributes, like intelligence, or, in Diego's case, athleticism.

 **Obikinoah:** Lots of people thought she'd do well, so it's a little satisfying to dump her early. But then with the not wanting to surprise everyone with every elimination thing. I actually had a different name for Pi'quoc Fields before you suggested Pi-quoc Fields, but I guess we'll save that for another location. The interactions between Robin and Eloa have so far been fun to write, and who knows? There could be more twists and turns forthcoming.

 **Omakin:** I've seen some authors make it really obvious who was going to win, and I find that it detracts from the story. So hopefully I can uphold the Winner's Illusion ( _Trademark 2018 by Omakin_ ) and keep you guys guessing. I didn't even think of including subtitles for Giuseppe's speech because I included a couple English words at the end to give people the gist of what I was saying. If I ever have another character who can't speak another language I'll do subtitles, but as Giuseppe learns more English I think it'll be easier to understand his confessionals. Especially now that you've given me this criticism.

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_

 _Like always, I saw those predictions and put them down! Here they are:_

 _ **GirlPower54:** Maddie, Chloe, Robin_

 _ **Zevoros:** Maddie, Chloe, Eloa_

 _ **AZW330:** Maddie, Chloe, Robin_

 _ **Artamis9 (Thanks for joining!):** Cole, Koh, Pearl_

 _ **ShadowJCreed:** Maddie, Maggie, Giuseppe_

 _ **Beastboycoolman15:** Maddie, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Candela Monsoon:** Diego, Joshua, Pearl_

 _ **DinoKea:** Cole, Maggie, Marisa_

 _ **Mistress Mysterious:** Diego, Chloe, Pearl_

 _ **Apenad4LIFE:** Maddie, Chloe, Robin_

 _ **Obikinoah:** Diego, Koh, Pearl_

 _ **Omakin:** Maddie, Maggie, Marisa_

 _The Standings (Ties are in random order btw):_

 _ **1st- Candela Monsoon:** 1 point_

 _ **1st- Zevoros:** 1 point_

 _ **1st- DinoKea:** 1 point_

 _ **1st- Omakin:** 1 point_

 _ **2nd- GirlPower54:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- AZW330:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Mistress Mysterious:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Taylorfang9:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Aleister Bloodrive VII** : 0 points_

 _ **2nd- JackHammerMan:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Apenad4LIFE:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Beastboycoolman15:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Obikinoah:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- ShadowJCreed:** 0 points_

 _ **2nd- Artamis9:** 0 points_

 _The Teams:_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:** Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:** Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, Maggie_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:** Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

 _ **Eliminated:** Olivia, Alexei, Zaheen_

* * *

 **I don't like escape rooms. At all.**

* * *

"You're fired."

The scene opened in on Chris McLean. Instead of his usual composed demeanour, he looked frightened.

He stared down a woman wearing a navy pantsuit. She held a clipboard and a stern look in her eye. When she spoke, it was in a British accent.

"When we renewed your contract for this season, we made the requirements very clear," she snapped. "Now, we expected you to break these rules, yes, but by being overzealous. Instead, it's the opposite. You've attended one elimination ceremony and not a single challenge."

Chris gulped. "But-"

"You've used the interns that we graciously provided you as slave labour," the woman spat. "The challenges have been boring and uninspired. It's like you've lost your passion. We can't have that."

"I haven't lost my passion," Chris argued. "There's just… something more important going on in my life."

"And that is?" When Chris didn't answer, the woman smirked. "A plane will be arriving in three days with your replacement," the woman said. "Pack your bags."

"WAIT!" Chris protested. "Give me one more chance! Three days? You'll be just in time for the next challenge. You won't be sorry you waited."

The woman sniffed. Then, "Fine. This is your last chance, Mr. McLean. Mess up and you're done."

She walked off. An intern tapped on Chris' shoulder and pointed to the camera.

"You want me to do the intro now?" Chris groaned. He sighed and turned to the camera. "Last time on Total Drama: The K'wala Islands.

"Alliances and friendships formed all across the game, including those with Eloa, who accidentally ended up in an alliance with everyone on her team, and with Giuseppe, who unintentionally friend-zoned Marisa and was tricked by Pearl into thinking that Robin would be the target of the next vote.

"The Terrible Tarantulas were reeling at the loss of Alexei, but Maggie and Chloe decided to unite to take out Joshua, who currently believes he's playing everyone. Logan and Koh continued their alliance, and Koh's decision to play the game a little nicer allowed her to form connections with both Chloe and Maggie.

"After narrowly losing the challenge, Diego lost faith in Zaheen and Harald and started drifting back to Cole, who he betrayed. Zaheen tried to spin the vote back onto Diego but failed after Harald revealed his true colours and betrayed the one person everybody thought he would be loyal to.

"Now, only fifteen are left," Chris said. "Who'll play 'million or bust', who'll turn to rust, and who'll bite the dust tonight? Find out on…

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"

Chris then turned on his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Calling all interns. Yeah, you too, Caleb. Remember that challenge? The one that everyone said wouldn't work?"

He grins. "Yeah. We're doing it now."

 **Theme: I Wanna Be Famous (2007)**

 _-Opening Music-_

The camera begins at a shot of The K'wala Islands from afar. The camera zooms in straight into the forest, where, as foliage is seen being moved aside, Chris relaxes in a lawn chair. Caleb is fanning him with an oversized palm frond, Rachel is peeling grapes, and Fredrick is attempting to hastily adjust his hair with a handheld mirror.

 _-Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine-_

As the camera rushes past Chris, Marisa and Giuseppe can be seen, sitting on a fallen tree. Marisa is patiently talking to Giuseppe as he studies from his dictionary. Giuseppe blushes slightly, and when he isn't looking, Marisa checks off a box on a clipboard.

 _-You guys are on my mind-_

In another portion of the forest, Diego fights off invisible enemies with his sword. He laughs triumphantly. Then, he spots something and promptly runs away, terrified. The 'something' is revealed to be Maddie as she runs on-screen with a lighter in her hand. She spots the camera, waves, and takes a bite of chocolate.

 _-You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see-_

The scene changes. Now, Joshua is bragging to Logan as he walks on some sort of boardwalk. Logan rolls his eyes, unamused. Suddenly, Joshua disappears from the screen as the shot pulls out to show that he has fallen off the Lake Gellafiche Boxing Ring. Logan chuckles. Then, Koh jumps at him with her knife in hand. Logan jumps up and consequently falls off the ring, causing Koh to cackle.

 _-I wanna be famous-_

Below them, Robin and Pearl are arguing as they walk along the coast. Both are getting increasingly frustrated. Then, bird poop falls onto Pearl and she screams and runs off, leaving Robin to shrug.

 _-I wanna live close to the Sun-_

The camera follows Pearl for a few moments, then stops on Chloe and Alexei, who are chatting and laughing. Then, Chloe spots something. Crouching down, she pulls out her magnifying glass, which glints in the sunlight.

 _-So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won-_

Maggie sees the duo and starts to walk over. Chloe sees her, stands, and glares, while Alexei stands in between the girls with an exasperated sigh.

 _-Everything to prove, nothing in my way-_

The scene changes again. Now, Zaheen is performing magic for Harald. The acrobat laughs good naturedly as Zaheen pulls out a dove from nowhere. Zaheen puts on a fake smile, which evaporated as soon as Harald isn't looking.

 _-I'll get there one day-_

Ambrose, a few paces away, is using an axe to split wood. Eloa watches him contentedly, when Ambrose removes his shirt to use it as a facecloth, Eloa faints.

 _-'Cause I wanna be famous-_

Cole and Olivia are walking down a path, signing to each other. Olivia silently laughs and Cole blushes. Then, the klutz trips, sending them both down a hill and out of sight.

 _-Na na nana nana, na nana nana na, na nana nana na!-_

The scene returns to Chris. Suddenly, all three interns look at each other, shrug, and start hitting Chris with a palm frond, grapes, and a mirror. The host raises his hands and falls off his chair.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

The eighteen contestants are now running some sort of obstacle course-styled race, where they must jump over a log. Most of them complete it, with Ambrose expertly vaulting over it, Chloe struggling due to her height, Cole tripping and rolling under, and Zaheen merely walking around it.

 _-I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous!-_

They then must climb a wall with ropes attached. Giuseppe helps Marisa up, Koh pushes Alexei aside to get at the wall first, Harald leaps up with surprising speed, and Eloa scampers up.

 _-Doo doodoo doo doodoo…-_

Finally, the contestants are sitting around the campfire, the boys on the right bench and the girls on the left. Cole and Olivia, who sit on the ends, reach out to hold hands, but Maddie jumps up and, using a fiery stick, wards Cole off. She tosses the stick into the campfire as the camera pans upward to show the title- Total Drama: The K'wala Islands.

 _-End of Theme-_

* * *

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies- Night 5**_

Harald was practically skipping with glee as he, Cole, Diego, and Maddie returned to camp.

"Harald just pulled off a blindside and you can tell he's revelling in his glory," Cole narrated. "You'd think he'd care more about the giant target he just put on his back. But hey, who knows what goes on in his mind."

"What are you doing?" Diego asked exasperatedly.

"I wanted to use the confessional, but, like, I also feel like this might be an important scene to be in, man," Cole explained. "Hope no one minds."

"You need not be here on my account," Harald smirked. "I have nothing to say to you... yet."

"That sounds ominous," Cole nodded. "I'm going to restart our fire since the rain let up. Maddie, do you want to come for a reason that is definitely not because of our alliance?"

Maddie grinned. "Maddie likes fire!"

They walked over to the firepit.

"So, I don't really think we need to talk about it, but we're voting for Harald, right?" Cole asked.

Maddie was more interested in lighting the fire. "Doesn't matter. That is, unless you have a deep-seated fear that the distraction that Harry provides is letting Drogo slip by."

"What?" Cole asked.

"What?" Maddie replied in like fashion.

Cole shook his head. "No. Diego will get his just desserts eventually, but I feel like Harald needs to go home first. He's too strong a player and stuff."

"Ummmmm no," Maddie shook her head. "Drogo caused me grievous bodily harm."

"Still not true. Harald voted for you," Cole reminded her. "He could do it again."

"Nah, I'm in Harry's head," Maddie grinned. "When Maddie inserts herself into the psyche of someone else, she doesn't leave."

"This alliance isn't going to work without compromise," Cole frowned. "I wanted to join Zaheen's blindside. You convinced me to vote her off instead. Doesn't that, like, mean it's my turn?"

"Nope," Maddie shook her head. "Still Maddie."

Cole's brow furrowed. "Then, uh, no offense, but I don't think we can keep working together."

Maddie stepped back from the now sizeable bonfire. "So be it! Heheheheheh…"

Cole rolled his eyes as he left.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Maybe Harry's a supervillain, but what Corncob doesn't get is that Diego's a meanie! I don't like him one bit and he has to go. That's that. On this, it's my way or the highway."

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Even though the person I voted for went home, I still feel mad that I was tricked again. Maddie doesn't seem to care. The thing is, having told Zaheen I was voting one way and voting another is exactly what Diego did to me. That doesn't mean I like his decision, because, like, Zaheen was a villain and I'm not, but at least I understand it. I can't understand anything that Harald does, and that's why I want to send him home, man."

* * *

Harald was tossing an indiscriminate object in the air and catching it.

"My kingdom for some worthy competition," he said to himself with a smirk.

It was then that Diego wandered into the area. "Harald. Just the man I wanted to see."

He tried to show an air of confidence, but he was shivering.

Harald stashed the object and stood. "My friend Diego! I wanted to apologize for tricking you as I did. It was necessary to do so to prevent you from babbling to Zaheen, but now that the wench is gone I assure you of my loyalty."

Diego frowned. "Sure."

"So, can I receive your trust in exchange?" Harald asked.

Diego sighed. "Look. I made a pledge to myself that I would play this game with honesty. Such is the El Zorro way."

"But?"

"But after voting for Olivia after promising to vote for Zaheen and voting for Zaheen after promising to vote for Maddie, I realize that I've already broken that promise," Diego sighed. "I had to make a new promise."

Harald looked annoyed. "Which is?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to rid the game of its remaining villains," Diego stood. "Which means that, no, I will not work with you. Good night."

He strode off.

Harald sighed. "Shame, Diego. And here I waa thinking you'd want to be safe from this."

He pulled the object back out of his bag. It was an immunity idol.

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I made a mistake on day one when I chose to write Olivia's name down. That was what Diego would do, not what _El Zorro_ would do. I let _Zorro_ have control when I voted out Zaheen, and now I feel like he can get rid of Harald. It's weird, but I feel like this character I'm playing is helping me not only play the game better but be better in general."

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Tch. Diego's bitter because he hates being controlled. Unfortunately, with my new friend the safety statue, he's under my control once more. Now, should I throw the next challenge and get someone out with this? Or should I try to make a new alliance so when I inevitably use the idol I have some good footing? Time will tell."

* * *

Cole aimlessly wandered around in the forest.

"I wonder why more people don't walk in the night," he said to himself. "It's really peaceful."

He heard a braying in the distance that could only belong to one animal.

"No way, man," Cole said to himself, walking in the direction of the noise. "It can't be…"

But it was. The same goat that Cole had met days earlier was contentedly munching on some leaves. When it saw Cole, it popped its head up and wobbled over, evidently deciding that Cole's tank top was a better snack.

"Hey, goat," Cole said, stepping back before the goat could rip off any portion of his shirt. "Where's your mom?"

The goat didn't respond.

"Well, maybe we can take you back to camp so you can warm up by the fire," Cole smiled. "Oh, yeah, I finally came up with a name for you. It's-"

A loud noise startled the goat and it ran away before Cole could continue. Cole sighed and turned around to see Diego sheepishly waving. "Sorry."

"Don't worry," Cole shrugged. "I'll find him soon. Now, what's up?"

Diego stepped forward. "Now, don't say anything," he warned.

Cole gave him two thumbs up.

"But I think that we- you, me, and Maddie- should take out Harald at the earliest convenience."

Cole frowned.

"Now, I know we haven't seen eye to eye on… well, anything since I voted out Olivia," Diego said. "But I'm willing to put that aside to take out a threat like Harald."

Cole said nothing.

"You can speak now," Diego rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I was hoping so," Cole agreed. "So, like, I don't know if Harald's as big a threat as he says he is."

"How so?"

"Well, he did come up to Maddie and I trying to convince us to vote for Zaheen, but we'd already made up our minds. I bet the same thing happened when he used his, you know, reverse psychology on you. He's trying to take credit for decisions that he didn't really impact," Cole shrugged. "I don't think he can talk the walk, man. Or is it walk the talk?"

"Neither," Diego frowned. "So you're not voting for him?"

Cole shook his head. "I didn't say that. If he wants to make himself a vote magnet early on, I can help him out. So yeah, I guess I'll vote for him."

"And you'll tell Maddie?" Diego prompted.

Cole sighed. "So, uh, we broke up. Our alliance, I mean. We're no longer working together."

"Shame. Perhaps I'll speak with her, then," Diego nodded and shook Cole's hand. "Pleasure."

"Yep," Cole replied.

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I guess I'm with Diego now. Neat. I think we have this mutual understanding that this is a temporary gig until Harald goes, but I'm fine with working with him until then."

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I have to work overtime to make up for my past mistakes. If that means reuniting Maddie and Cole to take out Harald, so be it. I'll do what I have to to ensure his demise and win back some trust."

* * *

 _ **Wicked Wasps- Day 6**_

Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, and Robin were doing their own thing at camp.

"Man, it's hot," Ambrose wiped his brow. "Probably the warmest day we've had out here."

"At least it's not raining," Marisa chuckled. "I'll enjoy the heat."

"No kidding," Ambrose agreed. "Um, would anyone get uncomfortable if I took my shirt off?"

"Nope!" Eloa instantly said from where she was weaving something.

"Not really," Pearl shrugged.

Ambrose nodded and did so. "That's better."

Eloa glanced over at Robin, who was in the shelter. "Don't you want to enjoy the warmth?"

"No thanks," Robin said. "I want to enjoy these pillows more. Besides, I burn easily."

"Well, you earned it," Ambrose stretched. "Full points in the first challenge, first finisher in the second. And here I was thinking I'd be the biggest contributor. No offense."

"Ugh. I'm going to go throw up," Pearl rolled her eyes. "Find me once you're done fawning over the teacher's pet."

She stood and walked away.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ambrose asked.

"Pearl's just Pearl," Robin commented. "There's no changing that."

"Still, better to talk with her before she gets resentful," Ambrose stood. "I'll go chat with her."

He ran off and soon caught up with Pearl.

"What?" Pearl asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I know you have the idol," Ambrose confessed. "You weren't very subtle and you've been ruder than ever, implying-"

"Yeah, I'll stop you right there," Pearl snapped. "I've looked for the idol, but I haven't found anything."

"Fine, don't be honest," Ambrose grumbled. "I just wanted to mention that I have an entire alliance ready to vote you out."

"So?" Pearl raised her eyebrow.

"There it is again. That confidence that comes with immunity," Ambrose grinned. "Now, I've been flip-flopping between you and Robin for a while, and it's obvious that I can't vote for you."

"So you're voting for Robin instead?" Pearl was suddenly interested.

"Not quite," Ambrose shook his head. "I'm voting for Giuseppe."

"Fabio?" Pearl scoffed. "He's not a threat."

"Exactly," Ambrose nodded. "Unlike Robin, Giuseppe can't properly help the team. We've been lucky to have some really simple challenges, but what happens when things get more complicated and Giuseppe's our downfall? You know it could happen."

Pearl shook her head. "We've easily won or at least come in second in every challenge even with him."

"Because of who?" Ambrose prompted.

"Ro-" Pearl stopped herself. "Are you kidding me?"

"You're directly against your most helpful teammate," Ambrose shrugged. "And if Robin goes and you play your idol, then you're going to be seen as untrustworthy and will probably go home if we lose a second one. Giuseppe's your only option."

Pearl crossed her arms. "You're really condescending at times, you know that? No wonder you got dumped."

Ambrose's composure instantly changed from casual to guarded. "Just vote for Giuseppe, okay?"

"Oh, someone's a little sensitive," Pearl smirked. "Is it still fresh?"

Ambrose instantly turned and left without another word.

Pearl chuckled.

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"Pearl's one of the most impolite people I've ever met. If she didn't have her immunity idol- which she has, I'm sure of it- I wouldn't even consider other options. Alas, with Robin, Eloa, and I in an alliance, I need one of the other three to turn on each other, and Pearl's the best candidate. Whether I actually vote for Giuseppe is up in the air, because he does weaken the team."

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"Good ol' Ambrose. The stereotypical nice jock with little other personality traits. He thinks he's really smart, which is incorrect, because if he were as smart as me he'd see the merit in voting out Robin first on the team, which I still intend to do, because Robin's the coconut flavoured jelly bean in the bag that is our team. Which is to say, awful." She frowns. "Maybe I should give him bit more credit. He did figure out my idol pretty quickly."

* * *

"Ready to learn more words?" Marisa asked Giuseppe.

Giuseppe shrugged. "No."

"No?" Marisa repeated.

"No want learn words. Me, you, all learn words. No not learn words. Not like." Giuseppe bit his lower lip. "Want talk, not learn."

"You just want to talk?" Marisa asked. "Okay. Let's talk."

"Have animals?" Giuseppe asked. "Dog? Cat? Beard?"

"Bird," Marisa softly corrected. "I have a cat."

"Name?"

"Her name's- don't laugh," Marisa warned him. "Her name's Sparkly Petunia."

Giuseppe laughed anyway, and even harder at Marisa's shocked expression. "Sparky Tuna?" He evidently had no idea what it meant.

"I was six! She's an old cat! I was your typical- you aren't even paying attention!" Marisa scolded.

Giuseppe continued to laugh as Marisa defended herself. Eventually Marisa began to chuckle too, and then the duo were both laughing their heads off.

"Sparkly Petunia," Marisa repeated to herself. "What a name."

Giuseppe sighed contentedly and looked over at Marisa. "Happy me, friend you."

"Thanks," Marisa smiled. "I'm happy we're friends too."

Impulsively, Giuseppe leaned in to Marisa as if he were to kiss her. Marisa was about to return the gesture when-

"Excuse," Giuseppe said. He was reaching past Marisa to grab his dictionary.

Marisa sighed. "Hey, are we still voting for Ambrose?"

"Ambrose?" Giuseppe repeated. "Pearl say alliance vote Robin."

Marisa frowned. "Did she?"

Giuseppe shrugged. "We are?"

"Yes," Marisa said instinctively. "Yes, we are voting for Robin."

"Yes," Giuseppe laid back and started to read his dictionary as Marisa sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"Am I coming on too strong? Am I not coming on strong enough? Or is it just not meant to be?" She shakes her head. "More importantly, why's Pearl trying to divert the vote over to Robin? I mean, I don't mind, or else I wouldn't have agreed to it, but Pearl's ulterior motives are worth noting for later."

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

He slowly reads words from his dictionary. "I… think… I… may… have… love… for… Marisa." He grins sheepishly. "She is pretty. Nice."

* * *

In the shelter, Robin was looking inside his suitcase, although the contents could not be seen.

"Why'd I even bring this?" He sighed. He kept staring inside the suitcase. His gaze grew darker and darker, until he finally sighed and shut his eyes, shaking his eyes.

"What's that?" Eloa asked, appearing near him. Robin screamed and slammed the suitcase on his fingers, which made him scream even more. Finally he shut it, although he didn't notice that not every item was still inside.

Eloa reached over and plucked a brush off the ground. "What's this for?"

"Give me that!" Robin snapped.

"Not until you tell me," Eloa frowned. "It's for your own good."

"Mind your own beeswax, okay?" Robin grabbed the brush. "What's the big deal to you?"

"I'm only trying to help," Eloa said softly.

"I don't need your help! I don't want your help! My life is perfectly fine as it is!" Robin exclaimed. "I might not be happy, but I'm successful, and I don't need you or anyone else ruining that!"

Eloa teared up. She slowly nodded. "F-fine." The Brazilian ran away.

Robin's eyes widened. "Oh god… What have I done?""

He stood and sighed resignedly. Then he began to walk in the direction that Eloa had fled.

He found her on Ambrose's bench, sniffling. "Go away, you jerk."

"That's a perfectly valid way to feel," Robin admitted. "I went too far."

"Why do you put walls up?" Eloa asked. "Why do you push people away?"

Robin scratched the back of his neck. "I… it's difficult."

"You can tell me anything," Eloa said. "I promise."

Robin inhaled and exhaled. "Fine. You want to know my big secret?"

Eloa nodded slowly.

Robin began to speak with his voice shaking. "I went to an acting camp a few years ago. I was terrible at it- I only went because my parents pressured me. But there, I met Ashley."

Eloa raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this was going.

"Ashley was my perfect counterpart. The yin to my yang. The light to my darkness. Whenever I got really unreasonable or stodgy, Ashley was there to calm me down. That camp was three weeks long, and by the end of it I thought I'd found my soulmate."

"Did you end up dating?"

"I wanted to," Robin said. "I really wanted to. But I was scared. So we exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch."

"And?" Elo prompted.

Robin sighed once more. "I was so excited to tell my parents, so right before we left camp for the year, I pointed Ashley out to them and asked if we were allowed to date. And… they said no."

Eloa was hooked on his every word.

"I was shocked. It don't get why it was such a big deal. Everyone was dating. But they forbade me from staying in contact with Ashley. They personally blocked the number. And the whole time I knew that my parents, my flesh and blood, were preventing me from what could've ended up a long-term relationship. I got resentful. I started doing things that'd make them mad on purpose, but they were things that, after meeting Ashley, felt completely appropriate. I was a brat, and things got worse and worse until they kicked me out of the house. I've lived with my grandparents ever since."

Eloa looked tearful again. "Wow… how could people be so cruel? And what, because you couldn't date the girl you liked?"

Robin's voice caught. "That's the thing."

"What's the thing?" Eloa wondered.

Robin looked like he was about to throw himself off a cliff. "Ashley's a boy. I'm gay, Eloa."

"What?" Eloa frowned.

"In this suitcase? It's makeup. Which I usually wear because it makes me feel better about myself, but I can't here or else everyone's going to hate me."

Several emotions flashed across Eloa's face. She settled on confused fear. "Oh." She backed up. "I… I have to…"

She quickly left.

"Yeah, I figured," Robin spat. "Why would I expect you to be different?"

He sighed and stood. "{CENSORED}."

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I could've handled that better. But really… he's…" she shudders. "I can't even say it. In my family, it's something to be scorned and mocked. It's unnatural. And yet… Robin's not unnatural. He's one of the best people I've ever met. Why does he have to be…" she shudders again. "I just need to think."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"Why did I tell her about Ashley? I should've just assumed that she'd react like my parents. Now Eloa hates me and she'll most likely get Ambrose to hate me. I've pretty much signed my death warrant in this game." He growls.

* * *

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas- Night 6**_

Chloe, Joshua, Koh, and Logan were gathered around the fire while Maggie read in the firelight.

"Torches, the sequel," Logan narrated. He was holding another torch- this one altered so a layer of rocks separated the staff from the tip.

"Y'all ready for this?" Joshua grinned.

"Please don't ever use the word 'y'all' again," Chloe stared at him.

"I can't believe you dragged me into this," Koh muttered.

Logan dipped the torch into the fire. "I think it's working." When he pulled it out, the torch had completely failed to light.

"The hell?" Logan was examining the torch. He stuck his face close to the tip when suddenly it ignited, causing him to shout and toss in into the fire.

"You're a bunch of idiots," Maggie called over to the group of four.

"Is that your catchphrase?" Logan replied.

"I've had to use it a lot lately," Maggie went back to her book. "By no fault of my own."

"Feel free to join us," Chloe waved her hand over.

"For what? To watch your failed experiment burn? We have no need for torches and time which could be spent being productive is wasted on them."

Logan stood. "Want to bring up productive, Miss Maggie? How about the girl who hasn't done anything except read?"

"I'm weak and unlikely to help."

"And I have asthma," Logan crossed his arms. "Isn't it more about the participation than the results? Isn't it more about working as a team?"

Maggie glared. "I want a word."

"Very well," Logan stood. "Don't light anything else on fire while I'm gone."

The other three nodded, but each one looked suspicious, especially Chloe.

The two walked to the edge of camp.

"You can't blindside Chloe if everyone votes you off," Logan reprimanded her.

"Quit it with your holier-than-thou attitude," Maggie snapped. "I don't need it."

"But you need me," Logan grinned. "And with Joshua on my left and Koh on my right, you really can't make an enemy out of me right now."

"Joshua and Koh hate each other."

"Chloe would hate you if I revealed our plan," Logan mused. "The you'd be forced to vote for her. Who knows? If Joshua and Koh voted for each other, my single vote would determine who went home."

Maggie blinked. "Wait… you've been playing us."

"Not exactly," Logan shrugged. "I just let the chips fall and fostered a couple rivalries. Told a lie or two. I wouldn't call myself a master manipulator, but yes, I do have complete power right now."

Maggie coughed lightly. "So what now?"

"What indeed," Logan mused. "Well, you're going to vote for Chloe unless I say otherwise. It's a solid plan, after all. Make sure Joshua's on board, too."

Maggie nodded and started to turn away.

"And Maggie?"

Maggie turned back around.

Logan stared into her eyes. "If you, ah, reveal me to anyone else, I'll personally ensure your downfall."

"I thought you weren't a manipulator," Maggie shot back. She stalked off.

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"The thing with Maggie is that she's book-smart. Safe-smart, if you will. She plays completely with her head. Now, if I've convinced her head that the rest of her will go home should she talk about my dishonesty, then she'll be quiet. If not, I cement my status as a decoy villain."

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"Logan's right, as much as it hurts to say it. If I told anyone about this, he could casually bring up my blindside on Chloe, and, while I'm a good liar, he's a better speaker. If I want this blindside to work, it unfortunately means I have to work with Logan. But I don't trust him an inch."

* * *

"I'm bored," Koh whined. She was now in a hammock. "There's nothing to do."

"Hunt?" Chloe suggested. She was idly fiddling with her camera.

"Nah," Koh rocked back and forth. "We have enough."

"Fortify the shelter?" Chloe replied.

"I might've if you'd used a word other than 'fortify,'" Koh chuckled.

"I could…" Chloe trailed off. "I could tell you about some conspiracy theories, if you wanted…"

She looked hopeful and Koh laughed. "Sure. Like, how the world is flat and {CENSORED}- uh, I mean, stuff?"

Chloe blinked. "What?"

"Like how the world is supposedly flat," Koh said a little louder.

"No it's not," Chloe replied. "That would be stupid and illogical."

"Hey?"

"Wouldn't we hear of people who fell off the sides? What would be on the other side? How would gravity even function? Why would Earth be flat when no other planets or moons that we've observed are?" Chloe sounded genuinely confused.

Koh raised her hands. "All right, all right. Uh… what about that clan you were telling me about before?"

"The one without a name?" Chloe perked up.

Koh nodded. "Let's start there. No name? Like, at all?"

Chloe shrugged. "When you think of Chloe, you think of me."

"So?"

"A nameless organization doesn't appear in your mind when I say nothing, though," Chloe said.

"That's dumb," Koh frowned. "I literally just asked about them."

"Only because we were talking about conspiracies," Chloe said.

"This won't fly," Koh said. "I'm officially naming these weirdos… The Buttery Beavers."

Chloe chuckled once. "The Buttery Beavers? Now that's dumb," she smiled.

"Exactly. A crappy name makes anything seem less important. When was the last time you took an Erwin seriously?" Koh pointed out.

"Never look an Erwin in the eye," Chloe quipped. The girls laughed.

"Man, I'm feeling really good about the game right now," Koh chuckled. "I went from an immunity idol away from going home to in a great position with some good people around me."

"Sorry that my alliance voted for you," Chloe said.

"Ancient history. 'Sides, you didn't," Koh said. "Sorry for voting for Alexei."

"Water under the bridge," Chloe said. "I wish he hadn't gone home, but had I voted for you with the rest of my alliance he still would've left."

"Yeah, I guess," Koh nodded. "He was nice enough. Wrong side of the numbers and my idol."

"It's hard to remember that you're playing this with people who want to win as bad as you," Chloe said.

"Meh, not as bad as me," Koh pointed to herself. "But whatever. Tell me more about the Beavers."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"I wasn't expecting it, but I think I've found a good friend in Koh. It's crazy to think that just a couple of days ago we were ready to vote each other out. Once you get to know her, she's fun to be around. And she's accepting of all my theories, which is more than I can say for the rest of the team."

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"Chloe's tight. Sometimes some of the {CENSORED} that comes out of her mouth is a little whack, but we all have our flaws. Still, if the situation called for it, I'd vote her out. As Logan said, there's a difference between diplomacy and pandering."

* * *

"Joshua," Maggie strode over. "Have you considered voting for Chloe?"

Joshua looked up. He was on the beach, attempting to catch fish with a sharpened stick.

"Before you answer that," Maggie looked at his spear. "Don't we have enough food?"

"Yeah, but The King's a master fisherman," Joshua flexed his muscles. "I'm gonna keep us fed through the winter."

"Which explains why you haven't caught anything," Maggie stated.

Joshua frowned. "I was… warming up, that's all. Stretching."

"Of course," Maggie flatly said. "So? Chloe?"

Joshua tossed his spear to the ground and strode over to Maggie purposefully. "I don't know, Mags. I can see where you're coming from, but we won the last challenge and the camp-setting-up one. If Chloe's making the team suck, she's not showing it. Plus, we're still technically in an alliance with her."

"Don't call me Mags," Maggie snapped. The she softened. "Actually, I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Okay," Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Maggie lowered her voice. "Promise that you won't repeat this."

"I am zipping my lips," Joshua mimed doing so.

"Logan needs to go home immediately," Maggie muttered. "He's manipulating us, I swear."

"Leugen?" Joshua repeated. He laughed once but sobered at Maggie's expression. "You're serious?"

Maggie nodded. "Think about it. Who benefits from having you and Koh against each other? Who benefits from having Chloe and I against each other? All Logan has to do is pick a side and they'll go home."

"Just because he has power right now doesn't mean we need to be scared of him," Joshua countered. "Leugen and I are tight. We're bros. We're buds. We're-"

"Don't you see that Logan's been saying the same things to everyone?" Maggie said loudly. Quieter, she added, "He's involved with you and I in a plot to take out Chloe. He was involved with you and Koh in a plot to take out Alexei. He's probably involved with Koh and Chloe to take out one of us," she scolded. "He's sitting back and playing all sides while we struggle to keep up."

Joshua frowned. "So Leugen's vote could determine who goes home?"

"Yes."

"And by voting him out, that important vote is taken out," Joshua continued.

"Yes."

Joshua shrugged. "Well, I'm good."

Maggie coughed. "What?"

Joshua grinned. "I don't want to go into a tiebreaker, and I'm confident that Leugen will take our side. So thanks, but no thanks. I'm going to vote for Koh if we lose."

Maggie sighed. "This is the opposite of progress."

"So be it," Joshua picked up his spearand waded into the lake.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"Leugen? Dangerous? The King doesn't think so, and his instincts are never wrong. More likely is that Maggie's getting afraid for her own safety and is trying to split our votes every which way. It's cute, but desperate. Nothing that The King would do- that's why I'm still voting for Koh. Strategy in progress!"

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

She is clearly frustrated. "How did I ever manage to be in an alliance with the most obnoxiously pig-headed person to exist? I thought Joshua was stupid enough that I could mould him, but he's actually so stupid that I can't. It's ridiculous. If I want Logan gone, I'm going to have to resort to other measures." She relaxes. "To be fair, Joshua can be tolerable. Almost enjoyable. But that doesn't excuse how dumb he is."

* * *

 ** _The Challenge- Day 7_**

"I cannot believe that Chris actually approved the challenge!" Fredrick said, quite loudly. "I thought it was too weird!"

"Easy there, motormouth," Caleb groaned. "Seriously, though. This is an insane challenge."

"Right?" Fredrick agreed. "Do you know how many issues come out of stuff like this?"

"Too many," Caleb stated. "Chris is really going all out so he doesn't get fired."

"Fired?" Fredrick stopped in his tracks. "When?"

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Do you really not know? It's literally the only thing interesting going on right now."

"I have other duties," Fredrick shrugged.

"Like your hair," Caleb said. It wasn't a question.

"Yep," Fredrick smoothed out the body part in question. "Anyway, what's going on with Chris?"

"Doris Doherty from production came down to fire Chris," Caleb cracked his neck as he spoke. "He negotiated that she would decide, based on this challenge, if he could continue."

"Halfway through a season?" Fredrick said. "Harsh."

"More like a quarter," Caleb corrected. "So Chris will be at the challenge and we don't have to do anything except look pretty."

"I always do," Fredrick winked. "So does Rachel, actually. You're the only one lacking."

"I resent that. You're only half right, you ugly {CENSORED}," Caleb muttered.

"Oh, so someone thinks Rachel's attractive," Fredrick nudged him.

"You literally just said that she looks pretty, and you're razzing me? Nice," Caleb walked ahead of Fredrick before he could say another word.

* * *

Confessional: Caleb

"Fredrick irks me. I don't know why, but he does. Maybe it's his ego or his general ignorance." His voice lowers. "Thing is, I don't like him making fun of me and Rachel because I think I might actually have a thing for her." He frowns. "What? She has a good head on her shoulders."

* * *

Confessional: Fredrick

"I don't know where Caleb got his license to be mean, but he should have it revoked. How dare he call me ugly! And casually talking of Rachel with no respect. Uh… I think I might have a bit of a crush on Rachel. That's why I'm being so defensive. Just don't tell her. Or Caleb."

* * *

Fredrick and Caleb appeared at Pi'quoc Fields.

"There you are, boys," Chris said with a big smile and they arrived. "Thank you for generously contributing-"

He looked around. Doris wasn't there, so he glared at the duo. "Listen. If today doesn't go perfectly, I'm getting fired. And if I get fired, I'm taking all three of you interns down with me, okay?"

"Sir yes sir!" Fredrick saluted.

Caleb was less eager. "That's not a bargaining chip for me, McLean. I couldn't care less if I stay or go. It'll take more than that to keep me quiet."

Chris zoomed in on him. "Listen here, you little-" He stopped suddenly. "Doris! How the heck are you?"

Doris had arrived. She carried her clipboard in one hand and in the other, a pen. "This has better be as excellent as you claimed."

"Oh, it will be," Chris started to laugh evilly.

Everyone stared at him.

"What? It's been a while since I've had a challenge as purely Total Drama-y as this one," Chris shrugged. Before Doris could interject, he looked at the horizon. "Here come the contestants."

The teams arrived one by one.

Fredrick started to say, "Wel-"

"Welcome, Terrible Tarantulas!" Chris interjected eagerly.

"Chris? What are you doing here?" Chloe asked.

"Just checking up on my favourite contestants," Chris winked.

Chloe frowned. "Why would-"

"Welcome, Wicked Wasps!" Chris interrupted as they came. "Our only undefeated team thus far."

"Hey, how come you're here?" Marisa asked.

Chris frowned. "Why does everyone want to know?"

"Well, you're not-"

"And say hello to the twice-defeated Dastardly Dragonflies, who voted out Zaheen at elimination," Chris said.

"Zaheen? Smart," Maggie nodded.

Cole looked up as the team approached "Hey, man, who-"

"Don't say it," Chris warned.

"-is the lady behind you?" Cole finished.

Chris nodded. "This is my… colleague…"

"Boss," Doris translated.

"Boss," Chris repeated. "She'll be watching the challenge today. Don't be alarmed. Just act like you normally would. But better. Now, let's get to the challenge!"

"Ahem," Doris said. "I'd like to see how your interns handle this introduction."

"Are you sure? I want to show you how capable I am..." Chris trailed off at Doris' look. "And here to introduce the challenge are the interns!"

Caleb and Fredrick looked at each other, and then at the contestants.

"Top fifteen," Fredrick scanned the people. "For this challenge, you'll be locked inside one of these three rooms." He gestured behind him. Where the maze had stood days before, there were three large, roofless rooms.

"The first team to get all of its members out will win," Caleb said. "It sounds simple. But believe me, it'll be hard once you get in there."

Fredrick nodded. "Don't worry! We have our medic on-hand."

He pointed to the medic. She quickly stepped back, shyly looking at the ground.

"What was your name again?" Fredrick asked.

"I'm just the medic," the medic said.

"Right. Okay." Caleb nodded his agreement. "And to make things a little sweeter, the first place team will take home…" He pulled a blanket off a covered platform. "Bread! Wait… bread?"

A couple loaves of bread were sitting plainly on the table. Nobody said anything.

"We were supposed to give out breakfast foods," Caleb looked at Fredrick.

Fredrick coughed. "I thought it said bread fast foods."

"How would- describe the bread," Caleb sighed.

Fredrick started to read from a cue card. "This bread is whole-wheat and 80 percent non-GMO…" Fredrick trailed off as Chris gestured for him to stop. "So, uh, the winning teams gets three loaves while the second-place team gets one."

Everyone was silent.

"Let's get this bread!" Joshua cheered.

"Wicked Wasps, you have two extra members. Terrible Tarantulas, you have one. Choose who you're going to sit out," Caleb droned. "And remember, it can't be Eloa."

The Terrible Tarantulas huddled together.

"This is probably a brains-heavy challenge. Obviously Joshua should not participate" Maggie stated.

"Hey! I'm a prodigy, dawg!" Joshua protested.

"You never know. We could have some sort of strength aspect." Logan raised his hand. "I think I'll sit this one out."

"...Fine," Maggie reluctantly said.

Meanwhile, the Wicked Wasps were also deciding.

"What doing?" Giuseppe asked.

"Locked in a box," Marisa said to him.

"...What?" Giuseppe looked around, but got no clarification.

"Well, obviously Giuseppe should sit out," Ambrose stated.

"Oh no," Pearl replied. "I'm going to prove that he isn't useless."

"What do you mean, useless?" Robin asked her.

Pearl smirked. "Stormy here thinks that you're the only reason we've been winning and Giuseppe's weighing us down."

"Really?" Robin asked.

"Weighing us down?" Marisa asked.

"Stormy?" Ambrose asked.

Pearl smirked. "So Giuseppe's in, Robin's out."

Robin shrugged. "I suppose if you want to see how we fare without me, I can oblige."

"What we do?" Giuseppe started to panic.

"If you want it like that, I'm sitting out too," Ambrose said. "But if we lose, it's your fault."

Pearl frowned. "According to you, it'll be Giuseppe's."

"What we do?" Giuseppe repeated.

"Have you decided, teams?" Caleb asked.

"I'll sit out," Logan said.

"As will I," Robin raised his hand.

"Me too," Ambrose said.

Fredrick nodded. "Take your spot on the sit-out bench."

They did so.

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"Without me, I think the team's hooped. Sure, Maggie's smart, but she's inflexible. Sure, Joshua's strong and motivated but he's headstrong. Et cetera. I kind of want us to lose, but I don't want to throw another challenge, so I'll just sit out."

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"I think I should take it as a compliment that Ambrose thinks I'm the deciding factor in our team's success, but since I'm sitting out I also hope that he's wrong."

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"Christ, Pearl… when I said that Robin was the best person on the team I didn't mean it as a challenge. Now he's out, and because I'm passive aggressive, I'm out. On the plus side, maybe I can talk to Robin about voting out Giuseppe."

* * *

"We lead you into these rooms and locked the entrance. You'll have to find a different way out," Chris said over a loudspeaker. "Is everyone ready?"

"Let's go!" Joshua cheered.

"Well then…"

...

...

...

...

...

"Go!" Chris said loudly.

He turned to Doris. "Impressed yet?"

Doris sniffed. "The contestants questioned your authority, your interns are as lost as a nun on a honeymoon, and you're giving out the wrong reward. I'm far from impressed, Mr. McLean."

"Lost as a nun on a honeymoon," Caleb repeated. "I'm going to use that."

"Feel free," Doris said, looking slightly less angry.

* * *

"First thing's first, team," Marisa called. "Examine everything in here."

"Who died and made you leader?" Pearl asked rudely.

"Did you expect that you'd get to lead the team since Robin was gone?" Marisa asked. "I mean, feel free. I'm just offering suggestions. Anyway, let's examine."

"There isn't much to examine," Eloa pointed out. "A table there," she pointed a brown table. "And the instructions written there. Is that it?"

Giuseppe looked around. "We do what?"

Marisa smiled. "Here, I'll help translate with your dictionary. Where is it?"

" _Dizionario_?" Giuseppe patted himself down, then shrugged. "No know."

Pearl sighed. "Perfect. I'm going to read the instructions in case there's an extra hint."

"I'll check out the table," Eloa said.

The two girls walked over.

"The Rules: No escaping through the entrance. Physical fights with teammates will result in disqualification. The first team with all four members out wins." Pearl frowned. "Weren't we told all of that?"

Eloa looked at the table. "Okay. It's a table. Good. Got that." She peered at the surface. "Hey, I think…" She pressed down on a part of the table and a small wooden square popped out. "Okay…"

Giuseppe and Marisa waited in the middle of the room.

"Marisa," Giuseppe suddenly said.

"What's up?" Marisa asked.

Giuseppe went red. "I… ah, I… I need say…"

"Are you alright?" Marisa frowned. "You look like-"

"I think I found something!" Eloa exclaimed. The three teammates walked over to where Eloa was standing at the table. Five wooden squares, all identical, had been popped out of the table, leaving square-shaped indents in the otherwise smooth surface.

"Good," Pearl said. "Now, do we use the holes in the table or the wood squares?"

"Maybe both? I'll check over the squares," Marisa said. She picked them up and began to examine.

"Marisa-" Giuseppe started to say.

"Giuseppe, I know what you have to say is important, but can you hold on for just a second?" Marisa examined each of the blocks. "Here we go!" She showed the others one block. "This has an _N_ on it."

She showed them the block.

"Well, it's a start," Eloa grinned. "Let's do this!"

* * *

Confessional: Marisa- Wicked Wasps

"I like Giuseppe. I think that's obvious. He's handsome and sweet. But sometimes his misunderstanding of English is difficult to work with, so in a challenge that involves speed, I don't really have time to wait."

* * *

The Dragonflies were in a room identical to the Wasps'.

"Scan the room," Harald ordered. "Everything, even if you don't think anything is there."

"I don't take orders from you," Diego spat.

"Fine. Feel free to lose the challenge," Harald taunted. "How, then, would your teammates feel? Knowing that due to your own stubbornness you caused the entire team to fail. I would vote you off for such an offense, no?" He looked at Cole and Maddie.

"No. Er, yes. Wait, no," Cole frowned. "You worded that question weirdly."

"Maddie's going to look at the floor for weight-activated panels," Maddie said simply.

Harald bristled. "There's no technology in this room. There's no technology on the island. Why would there be-" but Maddie was sniffing the floor, prowling around and occasionally laughing maniacally.

"Very well. Attend me," Harald stated, briskly striding over to a corner of the room.

"Are we really looking at every inch of this room? That would be extremely inefficient," Diego complained.

Harald smirked and, with an outstretched finger, pushed on a portion of the wall. It slid inward, which caused several more portions of the wall to slide outward.

Upon stepping back, the boys saw there were two columns of protrusions, each one several vertical feet apart, running upwards to the top of the wall.

Harald turned back to Diego. "Challenge my authority again, please."

Diego frowned.

Cole looked at the parts of the wall which now stuck out. "Do we climb up the wall with these? They seem a little too narrow to do that."

Harald nodded. "Perhaps I could accomplish the feat, but I doubt that you three would be able to. For now, we'll have to look for other methods of accomplishing our goal."

"Hey guys!" Maddie shouted. She jumped onto a section of the floor which immediately sunk into the ground. "I found a weight-activated panel!"

* * *

Confessional: Diego- Dastardly Dragonflies

"Harald has done nothing but help the team, yet he treats the rest of us as inferiors. I know it is my duty to vote him out, but if this challenge is any indication, we might continually lose without his aid. What shall I do?"

* * *

The Terrible Tarantulas' room, once again, was identical to the others.

"Let's move in pairs. We cover more ground but we have a second pair of eyes," Chloe suggested.

"Fine, but I'm with you," Koh said to Chloe.

Maggie looked at Joshua. "You're kidding. I'm with you again?"

"You should be thankful," Joshua kissed his bicep. "After all, with The King on your side, you can't- Maggie? Maggie?" He followed her as she walked away.

Chloe and Koh decided to go to the table. Once there, Chloe first decided to look under it.

"Checking for gum?" Koh laughed.

"We have to be resourceful," Chloe explained. "Did you notice the proportions of this table?"

Koh looked at it. "Um… the top is really thick. The surface is wide. And the legs are short. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Chloe grinned, but Koh couldn't see. "Well, there's a hidden drawer under here."

"Really? Open it," Koh said.

"I can't," Chloe came out from under the table. "It's locked."

On the other side of the room, Joshua and Maggie found themselves at the poster explaining the rules.

"I've read enough mystery novels to know that a poster is never a poster," Maggie's mouth twitched and she tapped on the center of the poster. "See? Hollow. There's something on the other end."

She nodded to Joshua. "Can you help me-"

"Already on it," Joshua grinned. "HI-YA!" He punched through the poster and sharply connected with the wall behind it. "OW!"

He cradled his hand and collapsed to the ground.

"You idiot," Maggie snapped. "I wanted you to help me peel it off."

Joshua ignored her. "My hand! My sweet, beautiful hand!"

"Hold still so I can see it," the medic said.

"Gah!" Maggie and Joshua both jumped back, surprised. Maggie looked at the sealed entrance and back at her. "How the hell-"

The medic hushed her as she put down Joshua's hand. "You'll be fine, just bruised."

Joshua nodded. "By the way, should-" but the medic was already gone.

"Weird," Maggie frowned. "So what's in here?"

Joshua stood. "I can't see. Let me grab it." He did so, pulling out several blocks. "Five cubes. They're all different colours. Should I grab them?"

"Of course," Maggie confirmed.

"All right! We're going to be the bread winners!" Joshua fist-pumped.

Maggie almost smiled.

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"Somehow, like a parasite, Joshua has stuck to and grown on me. He's intolerably stupid, of course, but his positive attitude actually makes me feel slightly better." She smirks slightly. "Gee, Alexei would be proud."

* * *

"Are you sure there's nothing else?" Pearl asked as Eloa looked at the table once more.

Eloa nodded. "Positive. We're going to have to look somewhere else."

"Maybe there's a hidden message written in the rules," Marisa suggested.

"It's worth a shot," Pearl sighed.

Before she could return, however, Giuseppe said, "Hey!"

He had pushed the same section of the wall as Harald and discovered the parts which now stuck out.

"Good job, Fabio," Pearl complimented. "Who's useless now, Ambrose?"

She walked over. "Well? Get climbing."

Giuseppe shrugged and, at her gestures, attempted to climb.

Meanwhile, Eloa tapped on Marisa's shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

Marisa nodded. "Of course."

Eloa led her over to another part of the room and dropped her voice. "If you had a friend who had a lifestyle you didn't agree with, would you still be friends with them?"

"What kind of lifestyle are we talking about?" Marisa asked. " Like, 'Doesn't celebrate Halloween', or 'Joined a Satanic cult?'"

"They're, uh… homosexual," Eloa said the word with contempt.

Marisa nodded. "Not saying I agree with you, but you're not a fan of that?"

Eloa shook her head. "I don't know. It's just something that my family has never agreed with. I've never been told any differently. But my friend is a good person and I really want to be there for them."

Marisa was silent for a while. "Well, I guess you have to ask yourself this: Can I love someone in spite of their differences?"

Eloa nodded and bit her lip. "Thanks. I think you've helped."

"No problem," Marisa grinned.

Just then, Giuseppe fell onto his back. " _Dolce Gesù!_ " He wailed.

"Yeah, that's not going to work," Pearl frowned. "Let's go look for a secret message"

* * *

Confessional: Eloa- Wicked Wasps

"I want to support Robin, but I don't know if I'm capable of doing that. I'll have to do some soul searching." She looks into the distance. "Can I love someone in spite of their differences?"

* * *

"This is fun!" Maddie cheered. She bounced from panel to panel, each of them sinking under her weight.

"Perhaps it's hydraulics?" Harald murmured. "Ingenious."

"So there're nine panels," Diego said, examining them. "Arranged in three rows of three."

"Hold on," Maddie frowned. She jumped in the middle, but nothing moved. "This one's broken."

"Eight panels. Presumably we have to stand on them," Harald frowned. "Shall we try random combinations?"

"Nah," Cole shook his head. He was standing beside the poster. "There's one thousand, six hundred and eighty possible combinations."

"How do you know that?"

"Know what?" Cole replied. "Oop. Rock in my shoe."

As he put his hand on the poster, it went clean through. "Uh, I think I found something."

Harald strode over. "Good find. Help me peel this off."

As they did so, Diego approached Maddie. "Maddie. May we speak?"

Maddie looked up and immediately scowled. "What do you want, Face Puncher?"

Diego frowned. "You punched me in the face. I still have the bruise," he pointed to a discoloured spot on the side of his face.

"Fake news!" Maddie decreed. "If that was the case, why didn'tcha vote me out?"

Diego blinked. "...I don't have time for this. Anyway, can you consider voting for Harald?"

"Harald?" Maddie repeated. "He's fun."

"He voted for you two days ago," Diego pointed out.

"So did Cole," Maddie said.

"And you're no longer in an alliance with Cole," Diego stated.

Maddie frowned. "...Nah."

Diego glared. "I must insist…" he shook his head. "This is a losing battle."

He walked over to Cole and Harald. Maddie followed. "What did you find?"

"Five coloured blocks," Cole replied. "And on the back wall, there's a big _NE_ written."

" _NE_?" Diego repeated. "What could that mean?"

"More importantly, what do we do with these?" Cole asked.

"Keep looking," Harald instructed.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks, you know. Everyone wants to just use me so I vote for whoever it is, but I ain't gonna let 'em! Maddie's vote is Maddie's knowledge and no one else's."

* * *

The Tarantulas' poster was still hanging on the wall, covering the letters written on the back wall.

"I got it!" Chloe shouted. She pushed down on a section of the table and popped out the piece of wood. After repeating this action four more times, she was left with indents in the table.

"Now we have a Jesus table," Koh said.

"A what now?" Maggie repeated.

"Get it? Because it's hole-y," Koh laughed for an uncomfortably long time. She stopped at everyone's expressions. "Bah, none of you can appreciate a joke."

"Hey Joshua, hand me those blocks," Chloe realized. When he did, she placed the first one- the red one- into the leftmost hole. "It fits perfectly!"

"So we just have to find the right combination," Maggie said.

"And it will open the hidden drawer," Chloe finished.

Koh fist pumped. "Yeah!"

Joshua nodded at Maggie. "See, Chloe's smart. And you work well together. I can't see any reason why you should blindside her."

A second of shocked silence, then:

"Wait, you wanted to blindside me?" Chloe asked. "I thought we were working together to get Joshua out!"

"Pardon my French, but hold the French up!" Joshua intercepted. "I thought we were friends!"

"I honestly forgot we made that deal," Maggie sighed to Chloe.

"So you were planning on voting me out!" Chloe and Joshua gasped at the same time.

Maggie, with wide eyes, turned to Koh.

Koh shook her head. "You should start working hard, that's all I'm saying."

"I'm not listening to her," Chloe frowned.

"Me neither!" Joshua protested.

Koh groaned. "Maggie, see if you can find the order the cubes go in. Everyone else, look around the room to see if there's something we missed. Joshua, poster. Chloe, floor and walls. I'm staying at the table." She casually pulled out her knife. "Don't make me say it again."

Joshua and Chloe looked at each other, then at Koh. Then they went over to their spots.

Maggie looked up. "Koh, I-"

"Shut up and get working," Koh said, her voice scathing.

Maggie looked down.

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"I trusted Maggie, and she decided to go behind my back to vote for Chloe. On one hand, I want to be mad because Chloe's a cool person. On the other, I'd totally do the same thing if I were in the same situation. Am I allowed to say I'd make a choice but I'd be mad if someone else did? {CENSORED}, I don't know what to do."

* * *

Robin, Ambrose, and Logan were idly sitting on the bench.

"I wonder what they're doing in there," Logan said, mostly to himself.

"Escaping, I assume," Robin replied.

Logan turned. "I forgot how little I liked you."

Ambrose coughed. "No need to be rude."

"Calling it as I see it," Logan shrugged.

Ambrose rolled his eyes. "Robin, this might not be the best time, but do you want to vote for Giuseppe?"

Logan made a face. "Joey, eh? Why?"

He looked between the two boys. "This… isn't my conversation. I feel like a third wheel."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin said quickly.

Logan smiled. "Absolutely nothing. Should I plug my ears?"

"Just let us have this conversation," Ambrose said.

Logan nodded. "Gotcha."

Ambrose turned back to Robin. "So, how about it?"

"Why not Pearl?" Robin countered.

"We can get her out after. But Giuseppe's kind of an anchor for us. Getting rid of him will help us all long-term."

"Unless we switch teams soon," Logan pointed out. "Uh, I mean… continue."

Robin frowned. "Honestly, I'm unsure the state of our alliance right now. Eloa and I had some confrontations earlier and I don't know if I'm still welcome."

"I'm part of this too, even if I don't want to be," Ambrose pointed out. "And say you're completely welcome."

"You don't know the whole story," Robin protested.

"Do you want to be in this alliance or not?" Ambrose questioned.

Robin nodded. "Very well. Giuseppe it is."

"Dang, I liked Joey," Logan commented.

"You'd better not tell anybody," Ambrose warned.

Logan grinned eerily. "How would that benefit me?"

* * *

Confessional: Robin- Wicked Wasps

"I'm glad Ambrose still wants me in the alliance, but he has no idea about the way I really am. What happens if Eloa goes straight to him and tells him about… me? He's going to feel betrayed." He clutched his head. "This sucks."

* * *

"Well, I'm an idiot," Pearl quipped as she pulled off the poster. "I should've checked this much sooner."

"Don't beat yourself up," Eloa said. "You're only human."

"I guess," Pearl shrugged. "So we have five coloured blocks. Obviously, they go in the holes, but in what order?"

Marisa looked at the letters that the poster had hidden. "I'm more concerned about those. There was an _N_ on that table piece back there, and an _NE_ here. Do you think it spells something?"

" _Bussola_?" Giuseppe suggested.

"No, I don't think so," Marisa replied. "Bussola doesn't have any of those letters in it."

" _Bussola_ ," Giuseppe insisted.

"I get you're trying to help," Marisa said, "But I don't understand."

Giuseppe shook his head and sighed.

"Maybe we should just try to climb that again," Eloa pointed to the portions of the wall that were sticking out.

"No, we should…" Pearl looked up. "Hey, does anyone have good vision?"

"Mine's better than most, why?" Eloa looked up once more.

"Can you see the order of the colours?" Pearl asked excitedly. She picked up the blocks and rushed over to the table.

"Colours?" Marisa asked. Each of the highest five outcroppings was a different colour. "Oh, I get it."

" _Bussola_!" Giuseppe started to move his arms around.

"We get it. You're foreign," Pearl groaned. "Now, what are the colours from top to bottom?"

Eloa squinted. "Um… purple, white, dark blue, light blue, pink."

Pearl put the blocks, excitedly, in their positions.

Nothing happened.

"Try the other way," Marisa suggested. "Bottom to top."

"Really? That never occurred to me," Pearl snapped. She rearranged the blocks. This time, when Pearl put the last block in, there was a loud click.

A drawer slid open.

* * *

Confessional: Giuseppe- Wicked Wasps

" _Bussola! Bussola_!" He angrily clenches his fists. "Why we no know? It _Bussola_!"

* * *

"There has to be more to the table than meets the eye," Harald said to himself. He wandered back over. "Cole, you're unusually lucky. Come see if you can't figure this out."

"Lucky? I don't know if I'd say-" Cole abruptly stopped as he tripped. He fell, slamming his face on the table knocking lose two of the blocks inset in there. "Hey, that hurt a little."

"I need you at my next poker game," Harald said to himself with a smirk. He pulled out the other three and checked them over. "Aha! There's an _N_ inscribed on this one."

"Inscribed?" Cole repeated. "Doesn't that mean, like, carved in?"

Harald showed him the _N_ , which was carved in the block. "Yes."

"Okay," Cole said. "So we just have to put the cubes we found behind the rules in the right order."

"Yes, of course. Where are the cubes?" Harald asked.

"I don't know," Cole shrugged. "I thought you had them."

They looked back at Diego and Maddie. "Do either of you have the cubes?"

"What cubes?" Maddie asked.

"Haven't seen them," Diego added.

"How do we lose all of our puzzle pieces?" Harald said. "We have to start looking. And if you know the order, please make it known."

"Yeah, I know," Cole said as he started to look around.

Harald blinked. "You know?"

"Yes," Cole agreed. He glanced under the table.

"Well, what is it?" Diego asked.

"The order," Cole replied. "Which I know."

"You know the order?" Maddie repeated.

"Yes," Cole agreed. He glanced under the table again.

"Well, what-"

"Save this until we find the cubes, please!" Harald insisted. "For my own sanity."

Cole nodded. Then he felt his pockets. "Oh, there they are." He grinned as he pulled them out. "I knew I had them."

Harald facepalmed. "You know what to do, then."

"Sure," Cole walked over the table and placed the cubes in the same order as Pearl.

A drawer slid open.

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"A small part of me wonders if it was smart to give up my disguise of being a stupid egomaniac so early. After all, had I not done so, perhaps I could continue to slide under the radar. But then I watch Cole and I realize exactly why I did what I did."

* * *

"I found ne," Joshua pointed out.

"Ne?" Chloe repeated.

"That's what I said," Joshua snapped glumly. "A big _N_ and a big _E_."

"Perhaps it's an acronym for a command," Maggie said idly as she continued to try different combinations.

"Nobody asked you," Chloe and Joshua said at the exact same time.

"Sorry," Maggie rolled her eyes. "I get that you're mad, but can we at least wait until the challenge ends? You know, so we don't lose?"

"Maybe I'll throw it," Joshua threatened.

"Not happening," Koh warned. "The first one to throw the challenge is the first to go home."

"Wasn't that Olivia?" Joshua said.

"On the team," Koh replied.

"So Alexei," Joshua continued.

"How about you shut up!" Koh shouted.

Joshua's grin was erased. "Fine. Be like that." He sighed and leaned on a certain part of the wall.

He stumbled as the wall slid in and several other parts stuck out.

"Found something," Joshua said blandly. "Is it, like, a ladder without rungs?"

Maggie scowled. "No, you idiot, that's… exactly what it is. Joshua, for once you've said something smart."

"Must be to balance out you acting like a jerk," Joshua snapped. Maggie looked at the ground. "Have you finished the puzzle yet?"

"There's only, like, twelve more combinations it could be," Maggie said. "Since the first piece can only go in one of five slots, the second one can only go in one of four, the third one can only go in one of three, et cetera. So we use the simple formula of five factorial to determine the total number of combinations, which is one hundred and twenty and you're not listening, are you."

She tried another combination, and was satisfied when she heard a click. "I think that's it."

A drawer slid open.

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"I can't believe I ever trusted Mags. I thought we had a friendship from how much we hung out, but I guess she just wanted to build trust. It worked, and now I'm paying for it. I bet she's probably scheming to get rid of me now, or something."

* * *

"What's inside here?" Marisa asked. The answer was simple- two small tiles.

She picked them up. "Hey, more letters!"

On one tile, there was the letter _W_. On the other, it read _SE_.

"So we have _N_ , _NE_ , _W_ , and _SE_ ," Eloa stated. "What does that spell?"

" _Bussola_!" Giuseppe insisted.

"I really don't think so," Marisa put her hand on his shoulder. "But I appreciate the effort. Maybe it's... _something_ news?"

Giuseppe took her hands. "Marisa, _bussola_!" He pointed in one direction. " _Nord_ ," he pointed in another. " _Est_ ," He turned ninety degrees. " _Sud_ ," He turned again. " _Ovest! Bussola_!"

"He's onto something," Pearl realized. "It's a compass! And we have… north, northeast, southeast, and west!" She frowned. "But… what do we do with that information?"

Eloa gasped. "The floor! I didn't think they were important!" She ran over to a certain tile and stepped on it, causing it to sink. "I thought it was just a design flaw and I didn't want to make anyone feel bad, but parts of the floor sink in."

"You didn't want to make anyone feel bad?" Pearl repeated. "That's a very… _you_ statement."

"Quick! Let's stand on the right ones," Eloa said.

* * *

"So which way's north?" Cole asked.

"I don't know," Harald replied. "Normally I'd say that way," he pointed in a certain direction, "But I don't know how it changes from the Northern Hemisphere."

"We only have four options," Diego pointed out. "Let's assume that, uh, this way is north."

He stood on that panel. "Northeast is right beside me, here." He pointed, and Harald walked over.

"Southeast?" Cole asked, walking over to a certain panel.

"That's southwest," Diego corrected. "Move two to the side so you're in line with Harald." Cole did so. "And Maddie, you'll go on west, which is there."

Maddie crossed her arms. "Nah."

"Nah?" Diego repeated.

"I don't take orders from punchers of faces," Maddie said.

"Stand there," Harald boomed, "Unless you want to be unanimously voted off."

Maddie stuck her tongue out at him, but did as he said. When she stood on the panel, nothing happened.

"Everyone move two platforms counter-clockwise," Diego said. "You too, Maddie."

When they did so, the 'panel' in the middle popped open, revealing, inside, there was...

* * *

"What could we possibly use a screwdriver for?" Chloe wondered as she pulled it out of the hole in the floor.

"Unscrewing, I assume," Maggie said.

She received three glares in reply.

"I was hoping for some ladder rungs, to be honest," Chloe said.

"Hold on," Koh grabbed the screwdriver. "We have the ladder rungs right here!"

She walked over to the table, and, like Chloe had done, looked on the underside. "Ha! They unscrew! Someone give me a hand."

The team ran over as Koh started to detach the legs from the table. A few minutes later, all four legs were on the ground.

"Now we just put them on the ladder and climb," Koh grinned.

"There's only four rungs," Maggie pointed out.

"Down here," Chloe looked up. "I couldn't see it before, but from this angle, you can see those rungs waiting at the top!"

"How does the first person get up?" Joshua asked.

Koh flexed her muscles. "I'll knock the bottom one off each time with my foot. Then you guys can toss it up."

"That sounds rather dangerous," Maggie stated.

Koh glared at her. "Do you have a better idea?"

Maggie shrugged. "Go for it."

* * *

Confessional: Pearl- Wicked Wasps

"I'm banking on us winning this challenge with Fabio on our side, because if not, I might have my head on the line for suggesting that Robin sit out and Giuseppe stays in. It was a calculated risk, but I'm not sure that it'll pay off."

* * *

Confessional: Cole- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I'm honestly really tired of losing so often, man. I want to at least get second. It can't be so unreasonable, right?"

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"I'd prefer if we didn't lose, yes, but on the bright side, there's a very obvious target if we do. And if it was up to me, Maggie would go home in an instant."

* * *

"Hey, I think someone's climbing over," Logan pointed. "Yep, that's Harald."

"There's Giuseppe," Robin sad excitedly.

Ambrose nodded. "And I think that's your teammate, Logan. Koh, right?"

All three watched as Harald, Koh, and Eloa each carefully dropped their extra ladder rungs. Then they climbed down the outside of the wall using a rope draped along the side.

Soon after, contestants started to climb over.

First, Cole, Maggie, and Pearl.

Then, Maddie, Chloe, and Marisa.

Only three contestants remained inside the room, and each were climbing rapidly.

"Look at this, folks!" Chris said. "We have a three-way race for first place!"

"Go, Diego!" Cole cheered.

"Finish it out, Joshua!" Koh ordered harshly.

" _Vai_ , Giuseppe!" Marisa exclaimed.

"Who will it be?" Chris asked.

Suddenly, one boy appeared, climbing over the wall. A second one soon followed, while the third was nowhere in sight. The top two teams cheered.

"That's the game!" Chris said. "Congratulations to our first-place…"

...

...

...

...

...

"...Dastardly Dragonflies!"

"Oh, thank whatever deities there may be!" Harald said victoriously.

"And a smaller, but no less important, congratulations to our second-place…"

...

...

...

...

...

"...Wicked Wasps!"

"Wasps? Wasps!" Giuseppe cheered. The rest of his team cheered with him.

Caleb and Fredrick stepped forward. "Dragonflies, here are your loaves of bread," Caleb said.

"And Wasps, here's your loaf," Fredrick added. The boys gave the teams their bread.

"Depart knowing that you will not be going straight to elimination-town," Chris grinned. The two teams left.

Everyone turned to face the Terrible Tarantulas.

"Tarantulas, you lost," Chris said. "And you know what that means."

They nodded gravely.

"I'll be seeing you at Verloor Island," Chris nodded. "And one of you will bite the dust."

"Yeah, she will," Chloe said bitterly.

The team left.

* * *

Confessional: Harald- Dastardly Dragonflies

"I was perfectly capable of throwing the challenge, yes, but I haven't exploited any cracks in the team just yet. I could use my immunity idol, but I would much prefer to save it for a better occasion. I am content to wait."

* * *

Confessional: Ambrose- Wicked Wasps

"Pearl proved me wrong. I guess Giuseppe is better for the team than I thought. Unfortunately, since I already told Robin and Pearl to vote for him… well, he might still be a target. For now, I guess I'll celebrate with bread."

* * *

Confessional: Maggie- Terrible Tarantulas

"All of my plans blew up in my face. And we're going to elimination." She sighs. "I messed up, but you'd better believe I'm going to fight my hardest to stay in this competition."

* * *

 ** _Terrible Tarantulas- Day 7_**

The team returned to camp.

"So what happened, guys?" Logan asked innocently.

He was met with a barrage of shouts from Joshua and Chloe.

"Maggie, she-"

"-blindside-"

"-I trusted-"

"-really wanted that bread!"

Logan stepped back and turned to Maggie. "Wow. Did you try to lie to both of these groups? How could you? What's next, voting me out?"

He quickly glanced up at Chloe and Joshua to see if either of them would react.

"Maggie actually mentioned voting for you, too!" Joshua realized. "Something about how you were trying to play all sides."

"That's exactly what you're doing," Logan said condescendingly. "Next time you try to manipulate us, make it believable."

Maggie scowled. "Look. I've nothing but be loyal to the team. Maybe I've had more than one strategy, but that's not because I'm inherently evil. I just needed a backup plan."

She looked at Joshua. "I'm really sorry, Joshua. I was never planning on voting for you- really, I promise. I lied to Chloe to split the vote. I was always going to vote for her."

She looked at Chloe. "And Chloe, I was going to vote for you the whole time, but not because of our petty rivalry. I wanted to close off whatever friction was between us the best way I could, and that was by getting one of us off the island."

Joshua and Chloe both looked at the ground.

"I'm going to think about this," Joshua decided. He walked away.

Chloe looked back up at Maggie. "You wanted to vote me off because you wanted to end our rivalry? That's the biggest fakest lump of crap I've ever heard. Expect at least one vote tonight. Probably four."

She also walked away.

Maggie turned to Logan and Koh.

"I'm voting for Chloe. Just… think about what you're doing," Maggie said. Tears pooled in her eyes. She left.

Logan turned to Koh. "So? It's your call. What do you want to do?"

Koh shook her head. "I don't know."

Logan shrugged. "Well, you'd better decide soon, or else it'll be too late."

* * *

Confessional: Joshua- Terrible Tarantulas

"I want to forgive Mags, but can I? That would mean The King made a mistake, and The King doesn't make mistakes. Unless… I don't know, okay? Leave me alone!"

* * *

Confessional: Koh- Terrible Tarantulas

"I told Maggie about my parents. I told her about a really dark part of my life. And she's a good person, too. But this lying and {CENSORED}, it's something that I'd do, not her. Gah… what does that even mean? I don't know if I know who I'll vote for until I have to write a name down."

* * *

 ** _Verloor Island- Terrible Tarantulas_**

Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan, and Maggie entered the elimination hut, where Rachel was there along with Chris and Doris.

"Hey, everyone!" Rachel said.

"Hi," Logan said good-naturedly. "What's the exercise of the day?"

Rachel shook her head. "Squats, but I'm not doing any exercise near a bonfire. We all know what happened to Michael Skupin."

"I thought he didn't exist in this universe," Joshua complained.

Everyone ignored him.

"Well, I think I'll ask you some questions," Rachel said.

"Hey, we didn't have to do that last time," Koh protested.

"I don't think anyone's had to do that since the first one," Logan pointed out.

Chris coughed sharply. "But you will do it this time."

"No, you won't," Doris replied. "If this is the way they've done it more often, this is the way they'll do it tonight."

Chris groaned. "Continue, then."

Rachel nodded. "I guess we'll cast our votes. Chloe, you're up first."

The conspiracy theorist stood.

* * *

Voting: Chloe

"My vote goes to Maggie. You didn't even have the decency to tell me the real reason you wanted me gone, did you? Honestly, I can't stand you anymore. I hope you enjoy fifteenth place."

* * *

Voting: Joshua

He writes down a name. "This is hard, but I'm doing the right thing."

* * *

Voting: Koh

"I don't even…" she starts to get angry but sighs. "I'm going to put my pen on the paper and whatever name comes out is the person I'm voting for."

* * *

Voting: Logan

"Well, I know who Koh's voting for. The question is, am I voting for the same person? Results to follow."

* * *

Voting: Maggie

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm… yeah."

* * *

When Maggie returned, Chris stood before Rachel could. "I'll get those votes!"

He jogged over, leaving Rachel to awkwardly stare at the contestants.

"...Any song suggestions?" Rachel held up an MP3 player. "I need some pump-up music."

"Try _Daniella Denmark_ ," Joshua suggested. "That always makes me feel better."

"Cool, thanks," Rachel smiled.

Then, Chris returned. "Rachel will now tell you if you're safe."

A surprised expression flitted across her face but she stifled it and walked over. "Sure."

She surveyed the contestants. "I think you know this by now, but if I say your name, you're safe. So first, with no votes against..."

"Koh."

"Logan."

"Joshua."

"My allies survive," Logan said to himself as Koh and Joshua both appeared relieved.

"You voted for me?" Chloe laughed at Maggie. "I'm not surprised."

Maggie sighed. "I doubt you are."

"You may still be," Logan pointed out.

Chloe frowned. "What's... what's that supposed to mean?"

"Chloe, Maggie, one of you is safe," Rachel explained. "And with two votes against, that person is..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Chloe," Rachel finally said. Chloe sighed in relief.

"What?" Koh suddenly stood and turned accusingly on Logan. "You voted for Maggie?"

"You didn't?" Logan replied with a small smile.

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, I expected this."

"That's what you get," Chloe said triumphantly.

Maggie ignored her, stood, and looked at Koh. "Thanks for trying. Make sure you win this."

Koh nodded.

Maggie then looked at Joshua. "Joshua-"

"Maggie," Joshua cut off sharply.

Then he smiled. "I forgive you."

"Friends?" Maggie reached out for a fist bump.

Joshua accepted the gesture. "Friends."

"Maggie, you are the fourth person voted out of Total Drama: The K'wala Islands," Rachel said solemnly.

"Really? I had no idea," Maggie said with an eye roll. She smirked and walked away proudly.

Chris looked at the four remaining players- Chloe, Joshua, Koh, and Logan. "It seems Maggie got caught up in her own lies. Let this serve as a lesson to you that the more you risk, the worse the fallout is. Go back to camp. Get some sleep. Night."

* * *

Confessional: Chloe- Terrible Tarantulas

"I feel great! I got rid of a threat and now I have power on the team. For the first time, I feel… powerful." She grins. "There's no way I'm letting this power go."

* * *

Confessional: Logan- Terrible Tarantulas

"Koh and I waffled around for a bit, but eventually we decided to vote for Chloe. As you saw, I didn't. Maggie was starting to really discover everything about me, and I can't have that. I'll deal with Koh later. For now, I'll celebrate."

* * *

Chris now stood outside the hut. He cracked his neck and sighed, before hanging up a photo of Maggie. He put it beneath Olivia's, starting a new row. It read _Maggie- 15th_.

"After a heated day of betrayals, Maggie found herself with the short straw and plunged into a soda of loserhood," Chris narrated

He stepped forward. "Will all of this go to Chloe's head? Will Harald's immunity idol cause chaos? Can the Wicked Wasps even lose? And will I get fired? I'm really hoping the answer to the last one is no, but you'll know next time on…"

"Total! Drama! The K'wala Islands!"

* * *

Final Confessional: Maggie- 15th Place

"My time in this game was cut short after a plan too many, but I'm proud of the game I played. I competed well in challenges, was a big strategist, and… I made a friend. So I'm heading out with my head held high, ready to cheer for whoever makes it into the finale."

* * *

 _The Votes:_

 _Chloe voted for… Maggie_

 _Joshua voted for… Maggie_

 _Koh voted for… Chloe_

 _Logan voted for… Maggie_

 _Maggie voted for… Chloe_

 _Final Tally: 3 votes for Maggie, 2 votes for Chloe._

* * *

 **Bonus Scene 1**

Caleb, Fredrick, and Rachel sat in the elimination hut, chatting amongst themselves. Chris and Doris were speaking a ways away.

"Do you think Chris will be fired?" Rachel asked.

Cale shrugged. "Normally I'd say I hope so, but he says he's taking us down with him if he gets the boot. So let's hope not."

"I thought you hated it here," Fredrick frowned.

Caleb quickly glanced at Rachel before returning his gaze to Fredrick. "There are… a few upsides."

"Chris is coming back," Rachel announced. The host was walking back, his face neutral.

"So? Are we fired?" Fredrick asked.

Chris said, "Unfortunately…"

...

...

...

...

...

"...you're going to have to stick with me a while longer!" He exclaimed. "Doris decided the challenge was innovative and the fallout between Maggie and Chloe was a good example of drama that will inevitably occur."

"All right!" Rachel exclaimed.

"One sec," Caleb stood. "Chris, you know that Doris was right when she said you weren't as involved as you used to be."

"When were you listening to that conversation?" Chris accused.

Caleb ignored the question. "If you want to stay and not be investigated again, you'll have to be present at the very least at challenges and eliminations."

Chris considered this. "Fine. Challenges and eliminations. But don't expect much else, because there's…"

"There's what?" Rachel asked.

"Things I need to do in my free time," Chris said noncommittally. "So don't come looking for me."

He walked off.

"I wonder what that was about," Fredrick said to no one in particular.

* * *

 **Bonus Scene 2**

When the interns left the elimination hut a few minutes later, Doris strode in. "You can come out now," she called.

"Okay," the medic said, appearing beside Doris, who flinched.

"Don't do that again," Doris scolded. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Very well," the medic adjusted her hair.

"Well?" Doris prompted.

"Chris is going to be present at every challenge and elimination ceremony from now on," the medic said. "And…"

"And what?"

"He's hiding something. He doesn't want the interns to come looking for him in his free time and made no indication of why," the medic related.

Doris frowned. "I barely kept Mr. McLean on air. We cannot have him focused on anything other than the show."

The medic said nothing.

"I cannot stay," Doris said. "I want you to figure out what exactly Mr. McLean is doing. And put an end to it. If you can, we may be able to arrange a promotion."

The medic nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. I will."

Doris frowned. "What is your name?"

The medic shrugged. "I'm merely the medic."

"Not anymore."

"No, not anymore…" she trailed off. "Very well. You want my name?"

She grinned eerily.

"You can call me Morgan."

* * *

 **So…. Maggie. Maggie was another good character to write. Unfortunately, she got caught up in several schemes- including her own- and was eliminated because of it. I had actually slated her as the first elimination after coming across a blunt and rude, but I figured she had a bit more to give than the three who came before her.**

 **This challenge, and the characters' reactions to it (this is insane, it will never work, et cetera), was based off my sheer hatred for escape rooms. You'll notice a few common escape room stereotypes in there (not noticing something until it was exactly the right time, people keeping quiet about different parts of the challenge because they didn't think it was important). I just… really don't like escape rooms.**

 **Speaking of the challenge, I really strived to make it more strategy-heavy. So fingers crossed that it paid off!**

 **A quick word on the Robin-Eloa plot. The views of Eloa do not reflect those of the author (and I don't think they reflect those of the submitter of the OC) but come on. It's unrealistic to have 18 non-homophobic contestants on the island. You'll see the results of Eloa's chat with Marisa during the challenge next episode because I really didn't have a good spot to put it in without it being lost among other things, and that's one of those scenes that can't be hidden under other scenes.**

 **Count how many letters are in Maggie's name. I dare you.**

* * *

 _ **Thor's Prediction Palooza!**_

 _Congratulations to **ShadowJCreed, DinoKea, and Omakin** , who determined that Maggie would be going home! Good on you!_

 _Do I even need to tell you what to do next? Pick **one person** for each team. Keep in mind immunity idols and the shifting dynamics of each team!_

 _ **The Teams:**_

 _ **Dastardly Dragonflies:** Cole, Diego, Harald, Maddie_

 _ **Terrible Tarantulas:** Chloe, Joshua, Koh, Logan_

 _ **Wicked Wasps:** Ambrose, Eloa, Giuseppe, Marisa, Pearl, Robin_

* * *

 **Eliminated Contestants:**

 **15th- Maggie: The Sarcastic Misanthrope**

 **16th- Zaheen: The Street Magician**

 **17th- Alexei: The Optimistic Hiker**

 **18th- Olivia: The Silent Doll**

 **Takk skal du ha!**


	7. Update

Hey, everyone. Sad announcement time.

I'm going through a lot of personal stuff right now and honestly, I've lost time and motivation to write. So while I'm not canceling the story, it's going on hiatus for a while until I can get things back in order.

Thanks, I'll see you guys in a while.


End file.
